CAIRO, EGYPT — Mark and Leanne Rodgers, two Anglican Christians living in Washington, DC, had never been to Egypt before.
But in January 2019, they accepted my invitation to participate in a Joshua Fund delegation of American Christian leaders attending the opening of the Church of the Nativity.
The Coptic Orthodox cathedral was the largest church ever constructed in the history of the Middle East, built at the order of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and located in Egypt’s new administrative capital near Cairo.
Little did I understand at the time how profoundly the trip would impact their lives.
Both were deeply moved by our private meeting with Pope Tawadros, the spiritual leader of the 15-million strong Coptic Orthodox Christian community in Egypt, and by the stories they heard in that trip of the profound suffering — and tremendous courage — of these Christians, as well that of the two million Protestant Evangelical Christians in the world’s largest Arab country.
What touched them most was the the story of the 21 Egyptian Christians that were kidnapped by ISIS terrorists in 2015 and beheaded on a beach in Libya because they steadfastly refused to renounce their love for — and faith in — Jesus Christ as the crucified and resurrected Savior of the world.
HOW BEST TO TELL THE STORY OF SUCH COURAGE AND ULTIMATE FAITH?
Mark Rodgers, a former chief of staff for a U.S. Senator turned producer of various faith-based Hollywood films and multimedia projects — including Martin Scorcese’s masterpiece, Silence — began wondering how he could create a film that would both honor the memory of these brave souls and their families and inspire Christians around the world to live for Christ no matter what the cost.
A typical documentary did not seem appropriate given the story’s gruesome nature.
A full length motion picture seemed cost prohibitive, would take years to complete, and might never see the light of day.
But after much prayer, the Lord gave him an intriguing idea.
What if he produced a short animated film using the artistry of Coptic Christian iconography to tell the story in a creative, compelling, and innovative fashion?
Working with his colleague, Mandi Hart, president of MORE Productions, they began developing a script, raising funds, and recruiting a director to head up the project.
SHORTLISTED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD
The result: The 21, a powerful, emotional, and brilliant 13-minute film that is so good it wound up on the shortlist for an Academy Award nomination.
In late January, Rodgers and Hart invited ALL ARAB NEWS to come to Cairo to preview the film with Coptic Orthodox Christian leaders and discuss how to get the film noticed and seen by Christians around the globe.
Lynn and I were deeply honored to spend five days in Cairo with them, the film’s director, Tod Polson, and others involved in the project.
“It’s very tastefully done, but it’s also very evocative,” I told Chris Mitchell, chief Middle East correspondent for CBN NEWS. “It’s the animation, using Egyptian iconography. This Egyptian Christian — specifically Christian — artwork. It makes it very, very interesting when these ISIS terrorists occasionally think they see Jesus or angels, and they’re getting – there’s like a spiritual warfare crackling in both directions.”
“How would you depict that in a documentary?” I continued. “You can’t. So, there’s something very, very moving” about this cinematic approach to telling the story.
“I’m still trying to catch my breath because – it’s because I was crying at the end.”
THREE GOALS FOR THE FILM
Mark Rodgers explained that he and his colleagues have three goals for the film.
“One is a deeper understanding of our own Christian heritage in this region,” he said.
“A second would be wonderful to see this film be promoted widely so that people inside the Church can see the courage and the faith of the martyrs and be encouraged in their own faith.”
The third goal, he added, would be “to promote a freedom of religion that people can practice whatever they want to believe without persecution.”
Mandi Hart believes the astonishing and inspirational courage of these modern martyrs lies at the core of the story.
“I think for many people, we’ve seen and we remember the images — at least the orange jumpsuits where the 21 were beheaded,” she noted.
“And we know that they did not recant their faith. What we don’t know is that that came only after weeks, if not even months, of torture and other efforts to get those 21 to recant of their faith.”
70 ARTISTS AND ANIMATORS FROM 70 COUNTRIES WORKED ON THE FILM
“In 2015, in a now-infamous video, ISIS terrorists beheaded 21 men on a Libyan beach,” the producers explain in the film’s website. “The ISIS leader claimed they would turn the oceans red with the blood of executed infidels. Yet the brutal beheading highlighted the courage and unshakeable faith of the martyred men, proving that gentle faith is stronger than religious fear-mongering. Terrorism cannot triumph over sacrificial love.”
“Until now, the ISIS video has been the only publicly available visual storytelling concerning the death of the 21 martyrs. Produced as a piece of propaganda, the video does not showcase the spiritual victory won by the martyred saints, creating a need for a more truthful account of what really happened. The 21 film project aims to meet this need by presenting a more accurate narrative of the sainted men’s abduction, detention and execution. Our short film has been developed based on extensive research and multiple conversations with the family members, friends and Coptic clergy who knew the 21.”
“We have worked with dozens of Copts, including iconographers, musicians and animators, to craft a compelling film that honors the Coptic faith and their traditions,” they continue. “The Coptic community draws strength and comfort from their long history of saints and martyrs, and the 21 have joined that lineage. Their example of love and forgiveness is a clarion call for the world to honor and emulate.”
“The film has been animated by a global team of 70+ world-class artists from more than 70 countries. Tod Polson, former creative director at Cartoon Saloon, has led the team over five years of production. Coptic and other iconographers have been influential in the development of the film’s aesthetic, which takes its cues from the Neo-Coptic style.”
“Original music has been composed and recorded by the renowned Ayoub Sisters, classically trained musicians who incorporate Coptic hymns and liturgy into their music.”
