Neumann University will show the docudrama, The Sultan and the Saint, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in the Meagher Theatre. The screening is free and open to the public.
The film, narrated by Jeremy Irons, chronicles the encounter between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik Al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade in 1219. In the midst of a 120-year bloody war between Christian and Muslim cultures, Francis travels across the battle lines, unarmed, to visit the Sultan and attempt to resolve the conflict himself.
He is captured, imprisoned and beaten. When he finally speaks with the Sultan, the two men discover that they have something in common – a desire for peace.“An 800-year-old encounter teaches lessons that our world desperately needs today,” notes Sr. Patricia Hutchison, OSF, director of the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies, which coordinated the on-campus screening.
An interfaith panel discussion will follow the film. Panelists are:
The film won three awards in 2017, including the Bronze Prize at the 38th Annual Telly Awards.