Via our friends at Rorate:
From Corpus Christi Watershed:
Award-winning filmmaker and Watershed staff member Eric Hinojosa has been living in Lebanon, working tirelessly to bring to fruition a documentary film about the Blessed Massabki Brothers, the Emir Abd El-Kader, and the events surrounding the 1860 massacre in Damascus. The film tells of heroism and sanctity, showcases fascinating characters and sheds light on the Christian community in the Middle East.
(To see the 12-minute trailer, click here.)
It looks like it might be an authentic shoe-string production.
The film/documentary is called Fire in Damascus. The context was the conflict of Maronites and Druze.
According to the 2005 Martyrologium Romanum the Massabki brothers, Bl. Mootius, Raphae and Benedictus are celebrated on 10 July.
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If this event had occurred in Europe or Russia, and if the victims were Jewish, it would be characterized as a pogram – remembered, frequently referenced and commmented upon, and roundly condemned by modern day historical accounts and commentaries. Rather, it – and a number of similar such events involving Christians as victims over the past centuries – have been ignored or forgotten in our present day collective memory.
At the Melkite parish I attend, there are three brothers from Lebanon who had an uncle killed by mahometans in his own home because he would not reject Jesus.
Thanks for posting this, Fr. Z. The Maronites have long honored the Massabki brothers. I must say, the ‘behind the scenes’ almost seems as interesting to me (if not more so) than the actual trailer:
http://www.ccwatershed.org/video/13668855/?return_url=/projects/massabki/
There is a painting of the three Massabki Martyrs on the sanctuary wall of the Maronite church in my hometown.
This sounds like an interesting movie…
Once this film is made, can we force members of the USCCB to watch it?