First Passion

Directed by Philippe Baron

52 minutes / Color
English subtitles
Release: 2017
Copyright: 2010

 
The first cinematic depiction of the life of Jesus, Sidney Olcott's 1912 film FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS is the only movie ever shot in the places described by the New Testament. The fourth feature-length film release in the history of cinema, it was a great commercial success. Nevertheless, it has been largely forgotten by history.

In FIRST PASSION, documentarian Philippe Baron follows in the footsteps of this little known film director. He tracks the production of Olcott's epic from the filming in Palestine in to its release in New York. By re-examining this curious and fascinating cinematic artifact, Baron brings viewers back to the beginnings of cinema, examining the relationship between documentary and fiction, between director and crew, and betweem cinema and religion.

Other Ways to Watch

This title is available for streaming only.

Select Accolades

  • Best Use of Historical Footage, FOCAL Awards
  • Best Documentary, TV5 Monde Awards
  • Montreal Festival of Films on Art
  • Pordenone Silent Film Festival
  • Douarnenez International Film Festival

RELATED TITLES

The life and work of legendary director Robert Flaherty ("Nanook of the North"), the "father of documentary."

Mac Dara O Curraidhin | 2011 | 84 minutes | Color | English

Special edition Blu-ray including both DECASIA, a legendary cinematic exploration of the beauty of decaying archival footage by experimental film artist Bill Morrison, and LIGHT IS CALLING.

Bill Morrison | 2012 | 67 minutes | Color | English

Tilda Swinton's narration and a treasure trove of rare archival footage trace the origins of today's hyper-connected world.

Manu Luksch, Martin Reinhart, and Thomas Tode | 2015 | 85 minutes | Color | English | Closed Captioned

Directly follows the previous episode and examines documentary filmmaking in times of war and how it was used as propaganda.

David Van Taylor | 2013 | 56 minutes | Color | English

A history of documentary filmmaking in the US and UK from 1929-1941, including The Great Depression and The New Deal.

Calvin Skaggs | 2013 | 56 minutes | Color | English