A Jesus-themed movie which was narrated through the eyes of Mary Magdalene has reached hundreds of thousands viewers internationally. The animated movie, Chosen Witness, was released by Jesus Film Project in April. It talks about the story of Jesus’ ministry, betrayal, death and resurrection through the eyes of Mary Magdalene.
Jesus Film Project is an evangelical outreach founded by Campus Crusade for Christ. They have produced Christian content in over 1,800 languages since 1979. Also, they are known for their variety of works which connects people across the world for the Gospel.
The Executive Producer, Elizabeth Schenkel, says that it is noteworthy that Mary Magdalene was the first of Jesus’ followers to meet him after he resurrected. She also added that is amazing that she was in that position considering the fact women were not seen as worthy witnesses in a law court during that period. In her words,
"Jesus sent her to the Apostles as a witness to His resurrection. For this reason, historically, Mary Magdalene is known as the witness to the apostles, even in some traditions, as the Apostle to the Apostles.
"Yet, God chose a woman, a woman who had experienced affliction and redemption, a woman who had dedicated her whole life to supporting the ministry of Christ on the earth, as his first witness. This choice speaks of God's heart for the world, of his desire that everyone might see Jesus. No one is excluded. Anyone could have a special place and calling in God's mission to the world.”
Apart from the lenses of Mary Magdalene, this movie is expected to view Jesus as he stood for outcasts and with a glimpse into His life. On Easter weekend, the video was released in 38 languages and there are plans for it to be produced in additional 250 languages.
Within three weeks, they had over 250,000 views on U.S YouTube. Poland also had over 6,000 visitors to its special page during the Easter season.
“We had local staff in the Far East, Southeast Asia and South America who also launched the film on their sites with encouraging results,” Schenkel explained.
“We were careful to populate our Palestine and Jerusalem [footage] with the people one would have found there at the time of Christ. Particularly at Passover, Jerusalem was filled with Africans and Asians as well as Middle Easterners. We want our viewers to find themselves represented in that world so they will be encouraged, again, that everyone is welcome, everyone can have a place in God's Kingdom.”
The movie was done by one of the “finest animators in the business.” Barry Cook, the director of Mulan, Disney's animated film, was in charge of screenplay. Meanwhile, Dom Carola, who is known for directing the special effects of Disney's animated film, Aladdin, directed Chosen Witness.
“This film was a labor of love, and I like to think of it as the modern equivalent of the beautiful stained-glass windows set in the Gothic cathedrals of Europe. It's a work of art designed to bring the Word of God to life for the people who flock to the internet to find meaning and hope for their lives,” Schenkel concluded.
“Chosen Witness” is streaming at JesusFilm.org, the JFP app and on YouTube.
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