CREATIVE APPROACH
There are 2.2 billion Muslims in the world today. Add to that number the many hundreds of millions of individuals of other faiths who are hungry for stories about world peace, tolerance and international understanding and you have the potential audience for THE LAST SERMON worldwide. Facebook postings of the teaser-trailer(s) for THE LAST SERMON (https://youtu.be/aE8-1r0oGA0) garnered tens of thousands of views and "Likes" from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, etc.
North American Muslim population is 8,100,000. European Muslim population is 56,180,000. Countries that are involved with securing their citizens against terrorism, such as France, England, Austria, Germany, Turkey and Belgium, are understandably sensitive to any documentary about Islam.
THE LAST SERMON shows the successful and the not so successful integration of Muslims in Europe.
Middle Eastern and Asian Muslim combined population is 1,289,500,000. In our Facebook social outreach, we have seen and interacted with motivated and educated influencers in Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt “share” our teaser-trailer posts. We have more than 160 thousand “fans” on the “Mike’s Place: A True Story of Love, Blues, and Terror in Tel Aviv” graphic novel, "Blues by the Beach" film, and THE LAST SERMON movie Facebook pages. Ninety percent of our “Likes” are practicing Muslims.
THE LAST SERMON was filmed in cinema-verité style, following the journey of Jack Baxter and Joshua Faudem. Baxter and Faudem are a Don Quijote/Sancho Panza pairing, opposites both physically and emotionally. Their on-screen banter and distinct personas – interacting and finding commonality and humor – gives the film a dynamic, thought-provoking, yin/yang feeling.
Archival television reports, videos, newspaper headlines, and photographs enhance the storytelling. Also key to bringing audiences into Baxter and Faudem’s experience at Mike’s Place – and their narrow escape from death at the hands of terrorists – was utilizing the never before seen footage from their previous feature documentary, “Blues by the Beach” (2004).
The interviews are not scripted nor subjects coached, allowing interactions and conversations to evolve organically.