SAT-7 marked the day of Pentecost this year with an international festival of Christian film aired in collaboration with partner Life Agape. A slate of impactful Christian movies in Arabic, Turkish, and Farsi were broadcast across three channels on Sunday 23 May, to the joy of viewers who often request these broadcasts and share how much they mean to them.
On the day Christians remember the coming of the Holy Spirit into the apostles’ lives, SAT-7 is spotlighting works from Christian filmmakers that often leave viewers powerfully touched by the Holy Spirit, too. The project was initiated by SAT-7’s partner Life Agape, who also contributed several of the movies, and taken up by SAT-7 in recognition of the power of these films.
“Storytelling is a powerful tool for sharing the Good News, especially in our region where illiteracy is still high and the tendency for reading is extremely low. Jesus was a great storyteller, and He brought the Good News of God’s kingdom closer to his listeners through the stories and parables he shared that still inspire us today. Following the Master’s footsteps, we are thankful for the opportunity to share God’s hope and love through this day of movies,” said George Makeen, SAT-7 Arabic Channels International Director.
The films planned for the international film day include the Jesus Film in the Tunisian dialect, and Gospel of John and Gospel of Luke, interpretations that tell the story of these biblical books. For the first time, SAT-7 will also show Son of Her Tears, a film about the life of Saint Augustine that may be particularly encouraging to SAT-7 ARABIC’s many isolated viewers in North Africa, the region where the church father was born. Viewers can also enjoy Faith Like Potatoes, Flywheel, Fireproof, and Marie’s Story – all stories of characters, some based on real people, overcoming tragedies and struggles to find transformation through faith.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the new violent turmoil in the region continue to take their toll on people in the Middle East and North Africa. And, while encouraging faith-based films are popular among Christians, they are difficult to access and not readily available on other satellite channels or local television.
SAT-7 ARABIC and SAT-7 TÜRK will show the films back-back throughout the day, while SAT-7 PARS is spreading them across the week. The channels have organised the film marathon in recognition that in a time when people are in increased need of encouragement, speaking to them through a medium that they love and take comfort from becomes additionally important.
“We always hear positive feedback from our viewers who appreciate movies we broadcast, and we are glad we can provide them with a full day of movies,” says Makeen.
Please pray with us that the film day will be an encouragement and source of hope for many people.
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