Lutheran filmmaker receives international film award

Canadian, Roberto Munoz, a Lutheran pastor, received a Redemptive Storyteller Award for 2010, in the professional category. The Redemptive Film Festival, held November 13 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, honoured his feature film, Under Jakob’s Ladder.

Pastor Roberto Munoz and film festival executive director Dr. Chris Cunningham

“The film is both a personal and a Lutheran story; it tells about my great-grandfather, Jakob, a Lutheran preacher arrested and ultimately martyred for publicly praying the Lord’s Prayer at a funeral during Stalin’s Soviet purges in the 1930s,” says Munoz, the writer and producer of the movie.

It might be hard to image how a historical film set in “a grim prison” could illicit the biggest laugh during the award ceremony, but such was the case. “Given the subject matter, it was important to add an endearing comedic element to the story” states Munoz. “Well, not to give away the ending, but the movie is about how you often find the place you fear most—in this case, prison—can become the place that ultimately frees you.”

A year before production, Munoz’s production crew began conducting auditions in the heart of New York City. They eventually managed to assemble a balance of seasoned international performers to round out a cast of NYC television actors who make the rounds on programs ranging from ER, to the The Sopranos and Saturday Night Live. Not to mention getting veteran British TV star, Jeff Stewart, to play the title role.

The project is perhaps the first Christian film to use the state-of-the-art Red One camera in a full-length feature capacity. “The camera is the newest in the business. It seems only a matter of time before it becomes the Hollywood camera of choice.”  Munoz recalls the scratch to the $20,000 camera lens to be precise half-way through the film shoot during a slightly complicated piece of film choreography involving trained stuntman, Matthew Staley, who take after take, had to leap into the air throwing himself recklessly to the ground and throw a spoon directly in front of the camera some 40 times. To compound the matter the actor had to perform the stunt on a full stomach, directly following lunch break. “It seems so miraculous that the footage shot that day retains no evidence whatsoever of the damage.” According to Munoz, so many little miracles went into the making of this film that it’s hard to recall them all.

The movie is currently in talks for distribution. Munoz is beginning his next project and seeks to involve the greater Lutheran community in much the same way as the Kendrick brothers approach their film ventures (Fireproof, Facing the Giants). “We need volunteers eager to learn about filmmaking, and to act as cooks to feed the troops, drivers, carpenters, computer people, costume people, boom operators, camera assistants, electricians…etc”, explains Munoz. “Movie making can be exciting, but it is also a lot of work. It takes a unified team to finish a film.”

If you or anyone you know would be interesting in joining Munoz on his next film venture, please send your name and state your interest to email@cubecity.org  A new script is in the works; this is an excellent opportunity not only for young aspiring filmmakers, but for Lutherans of all shapes and sizes to contribute in an exciting new mission field.

To keep up to date on this project, visit www.cubecity.org

Print this article