Productions

Milo Rau 

(Switzerland)

What would Jesus preach in the 21st century?

Who would his disciples be? And how would today’s bearers of secular and spiritual power respond to the return and provocations of one of the most influential prophets and social revolutionaries in human history?

Set in the southern Italian town of Matera, where both Pasolini and Gibson shot their legendary films on the life of Jesus, director Milo Rau (Das Kongo Tribunal, Locarno 2017) and his team return to the origins of the gospel and stage it as a passion play of an entire civilization.

Together with Cameroonian political activist Yvan Sagnet, Rau creates a biblical story that couldn’t be more topical. With “The Revolt of Dignity” they have created a political campaign that fights for the rights of migrants who came to Europe across the Mediterranean to be enslaved on the tomato fields in southern Italy and to live in ghettos under inhumane conditions. An authentically political as well as theatrical and cinematic New Gospel for the 21st century emerges. A manifesto of solidarity with the poorest, a revolt for a more humane world.

Duration 110 min
Subtitles in Estonian and English

With Yvan Sagnet, Papa Latyr Faye, Samuel Jacobs, Yussif Bamba, Jeremiah Akhere Ogbeide, Mbaye Ndiaye, Kadir Alhaji Nasir, Ali Soumaila, Vito Castoro, Marie Antoinette Eyango, Anthony Nwachukwu, Mohammed Souleiman, Alexander Kwaku Marfo, Blessing Ayomonsuru and many others; and Marcello Fonte, Enrique Irazoqui, Maia Morgenstern; with the voice and the songs of Vinicio Capossela;

Conceived, written and directed by Milo Rau; producers Arne Birkenstock, Olivier Zobrist, Sebastian Lemke; director of photography Thomas Eirich-Schneider; dramaturgy & editing Katja Dringenberg; dramaturgy & concept Eva-Maria Bertschy; dramaturgy & assistant director Giacomo Bisordi; set design & costumes Anton Lukas, Ottavia Castellotti; original sound Marco Teufen, Julian Joseph Sound; editing Guido Keller, Dieter Lengacher; production management Elisa Calosi, Laryssa Stone; Estonian translation Mart Rummo.

Production of fruitmarket, Langfilm & IIPM – International Institute of Political Murder; in coproduction with SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen / SRG SSR, ZDF; in cooperation with ARTE in collaboration with Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019, Consorzio Teatri Uniti di Basilicata and Teatro di Roma; supported by Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Bundesamt für Kultur (BAK), Zürcher Filmstiftung, DFFF - Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Kanton St.Gallen Kulturförderung / Swisslos, BKM - Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Volkart Stiftung, Suissimage Kulturfonds.