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Macky Alston reviews the film Genesis: a Living Conversation
Genesis: a Living Conversation
Adam and Eve in the Garden…Noah and the Flood…God’s call to Abraham…Joseph in exile in Egypt. The stories found in the Book of Genesis captured our ancestors’ imaginations more than two thousand years ago – and they hold us today. What explains their power and endurance?
In this unique 10-part film series, Bill Moyers has gathered biblical scholars, writers, artists, psychotherapists, composers and lawyers together in conversation that is lively, intelligent, generous, illuminating and exciting as it probes what the Genesis stories say to today’s world. The messages are fresh and pointed and provide a wonderful platform for chaplains carrying to their faith-based communities a message of commonality among peoples.
Each episode in the 10-part series focuses on two different biblical stories. Bill Moyers plays host in each episode to seven charismatic individuals with different opinions about the stories in the Book of Genesis. The guests discuss the relevance of the ancient themes to issues of current import such as racism, moral values and the environment. Those gathered dissect these ancient stories simply for the experience itself and it is wonderful to be included in such company.
To millions of people, the stories of the Book of Genesis are more than stories. They challenge, for these stories do not all have happy endings. They are also sacred texts, sanctified over time by so many communities of faith that they resonate with a power and knowledge beyond our own.
Macky Alston is the director of Auburn Media,
a division of the Center for Multifaith Education
at Auburn Theological Seminary committed to supporting,
cultivating and promoting powerful, engaging, balanced
and responsible media on religion, spirituality
and ethics. He is a graduate of Union Theological
Seminary and an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Completed: 1996
Running Time: 60 Minutes per episode, ten episodes
Genesis: A Living Conversation was produced in association with Thirteen/WNET in New York and aired nationally on PBS.
Producer/Director: Catherine Tatge
Coordinating Producer: Michael Epstein
Editors: Donna Marino, Steven Wechsler, Mona Davis
Director of Photography: Joel Shapiro
Storytellers: Mandy Patinkin, Alfre Woodard
Music: Elizabeth Swados
Production Executive: Arthur White
Executive Producers: Judith Davidson Moyers, Judy Doctoroff O'Neill
Executive Editor: Bill Moyers
If you are interested in purchasing this 5-VHS set, you can do so on the Hartley Film Foundation Web site at www.hartleyfoundation.org. Just click on “Masterworks” on the homepage for more information. The cost for a VHS set of 10 episodes is $119.95.
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