The Film
Rev. George Scott, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in East Berlin, PA, launched his campaign to run for Congress in August 2017. Ten months later, Rev. Scott clinched the Democratic nomination for the 10th district of Pennsylvania, catapulting into the spotlight with a controversial campaign ad in which he throws an assault weapon into a bonfire.
HOLY FIRE picks up after the events of the Democratic primary victory. As Rev. Scott's campaign gains exposure and influence, we will see the level of work that goes into the evolution of his campaign, as well as the work ethic that Scott puts into his ministry and pursuit of public office.
A minister’s role is to spread the ‘word of God’ (Bible/scripture) to ‘God’s people’ (everyone). The meaning of the phrase ‘word of God’ differs depending on who you talk to; there are various ways of interpreting religious texts, which allows for individual ministers to assign authority based on their specific religious affiliation/denomination. This role, which involves the dissemination of information from one to many, is synonymous with influence and control, with the potential for corruption.
This is not unlike politics. Public servants ostensibly want the best for constituents, but differ wildly in their interpretations of what counts as "best". These wild differences trickle down into all-out partisan disagreements and fractures.
HOLY FIRE seeks to stir up a number of questions: what does it mean to be engaged spiritually or politically? Should those two be separated or one in the same? How do we converse with those we disagree with or don't understand? How do we address differences among faith leaders, as well as political leaders? How do we balance, prioritize, or consider devotion to a spiritual power and/or political ideals and figures?
HOLY FIRE will be released as a short documentary in May 2019, with a possible feature length expansion in late 2019.
The Team
DIRECTOR/CAMERA - Sam Roth
Sam is currently a graduate student at the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the University of Missouri. Sam is the founder of Bagel Staircase, a documentary production platform with an emphasis on juxtaposition. He also screens submissions for the True/False Film Fest and DOC NYC. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums for the Chicago-based indie-folk-jazz band The Lovebirds.
PRODUCER - Olivia Jacobson
Olivia is a student/filmmaker at the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the University of Missouri. Olivia is currently in production on her documentary short, Horse Girl.
SOUND CAPTURE - Michael Coleman
Michael is a filmmaker based in Columbia, MO. He's helmed a number of music videos and short films both in fiction and non-fiction. He's currently in post-production on a short film titled Damaged Beyond Repair, and developing a feature film.
Additional crew members TBA.
The Executive Team
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Robert Greene
Robert serves as the filmmaker-in-chief at the Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the University of Missouri. His films include the critically-aclaimed "Bisbee '17" (2018), Sundance award-winning "Kate Plays Christine" (2016), and Gotham Awards-nominated “Actress” (2014). The Independent named Greene one of the 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2014, and he received the 2014 Vanguard Artist Award from the San Francisco DocFest. Greene has edited over a dozen features, including “Queen of Earth” (2015) and “Listen Up Philip” (2014) by Alex Ross Perry, “Approaching the Elephant” (2014) by Amanda Rose Wilder and “Christmas, Again” (2015) by Charles Poekel.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Stacey Woelfel
Stacey is the director of the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the University of Missouri. Woelfel is the past national chairman of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), past president of the Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism, past president of the board of governors of the Mid-America chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and currently serves as vice president of the board for the Kansas City Film Festival. He has received the University of Missouri’s highest teaching honor, the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. Woelfel is a winner of the Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism, multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, along with numerous regional and local honors. He has been inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
How We Got Here
(George Scott with dir. Sam Roth in Dillsburg, PA. George is in full campaign mode, getting ready to go out and plant signs with his son.)
In April 2018, I pitched the idea of following two pastors who are on opposite sides of the political spectrum and having them debate on hot-button culture war issues. As you can see, the project has shifted drastically since then. While I was searching for potential pastors to work with, I came across a Vox article on a pastor who was running a fiery campaign ad in his bid for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 10th district. My ambitions for the project changed immediately from a debate format to a campaign journey, as I considered George's story an embodiment of the political and religious themes I was trying to explore.