Christians persecuted and also ignoredSpain joins international REDWEEK for persecuted ChristiansWho are the persecuted Christians of the Middle East?Jaume Vives and Manu Martino, creators with experience in impact documentaries, present their new project about persecuted Christians: an initiative that combines social networks and cinema to give voice to those who live their faith in the midst of adversity. With an online community that explores the adventure, information and beauty of these stories, they seek to generate impact and reflection before culminating in a powerful documentary.
Can you briefly introduce who you are and what has been your professional career?
- We are Jaume Vives and Manu Martino. Jaume shot a documentary a few years ago (Guardians of the faith) about persecuted Christians in Iraq at the height of the ISIS invasion. Years later he returned to document what had happened to those Christians he had met years earlier and made a second documentary: Guardians of peace.
Manu is executive producer of Advenire Films, an advertising and documentary production company. In fact, he is one of the production companies involved in the documentary of Freethe most watched of 2023, which was also purchased by Movistar Plus + .
What motivated you to make a documentary about persecuted Christians?
- The theme of persecuted Christians is crucial, because they represent the most authentic way of living the Gospel: living and dying for Christ with love.
Despite losing everything, they educate their children in the love of God and find reasons to thank him and forgive their enemies. They live with authentic joy and peace, even in extreme suffering. They show that faith is trust and requires total abandonment, but God gives the 101%.
Since the first centuries of Christianity, the persecution of Christians has raised profound questions even in hostile environments or those alien to the faith. The joyful and peaceful surrender of the martyrs is striking.
The documentary wants to tell testimonies of persecuted ChristiansThe story of their faith and their relationship with God sustains them in extreme circumstances and shows how a commitment based on love and trust is worthwhile.
The idea of this project is: first, to create community around the reality of persecuted Christians; second, to strengthen the faith of believers by reviving the communion of saints; and third, to offer the pagan world a profound question: What is it about Christianity that makes this commitment possible?
The message is powerful and necessary in a society where, in the face of daily problems, peace and trust are lost. Persecuted Christians are a living example of love, abandonment and hope in God.
How does this project differ from traditional documentaries?
- No. In fact, the documentary is the last step of this project. We are going to create a community on social networks (YouTube and Instagram) in the style of the great Youtubers of travel and adventure: Lethal Crysis, Clavero, Okos... The stories of these persecuted Christians are going to be told based on 3 pillars of communication: adventure, information and beauty. To do you a favor, people go to the movies once. This is about sweeping, going all out, getting people passionate and involved.
We want a community of fans of these stories to be a loudspeaker and a prayerful force. We want the mystical body of Christ to turn its gaze to his wounds.
This part of the content in RRSS will last 3 years. In the third year, a documentary will be made with what has been filmed for cinemas and for sale on platforms.
What resources do you consider essential to carry out this project?
- Above all, financing. We already have institutional support (AIN) and technical support (Advenire), we just need to put gas in the engine. We are also working hand in hand with Methos Media (Nefarious, Kepler 6B, Buffalo Kids, Libres, The Silent Scream) to channel the tax incentive and by opening up avenues with the METHOS FOUNDATION.
