MPT national presentation is produced by Alexandria, Virginia-based Journey Films
Maryland Public Television (MPT) will premiere the new documentary SABBATH on MPT-HD and the MPT livestream at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. The two-hour Journey Films production is also available to view on-demand on the PBS App and MPT video player. Additional information and a suite of educational materials are available at journeyfilms.com/sabbath.
In the documentary, award-winning filmmaker Martin Doblmeier explores the religious, secular, psychological, and sociological implications of a weekly day of rest for what he describes as a “profoundly burned-out world.” SABBATH delves into the history and traditions of an ancient concept rooted in the biblical story of creation and explores the observance’s potential to serve as a remedy for what ails the modern world – whether it takes the form of a 24-hour religious observance or a secular respite from the nonstop pace of life.
“Our world now runs 24/7 with little distinction given to the day or the hour. What the practice of sabbath challenges us to do is set aside time for the sacred, to set sacred time apart from ordinary time, and do it regularly,” says Doblmeier. “It has been a practice across the ages, and it’s needed now more than ever.”
Told as a collection of short stories, SABBATH weaves together the practices of several different faith traditions to paint a broad picture of the subject throughout history and in contemporary life. Viewers follow Doblmeier from coast to coast as he explores sabbath beliefs and practices; gains insights from scholars, monks, theologians, clergy, farmers, physicians, and other practitioners; and discovers the profound beauty of the practice across traditions, the principles of justice that undergird it, and the potential it offers for healing a stressed-out world.
SABBATH is produced by Journey Films and presented nationally by MPT. The film is distributed by American Public Television.
About Maryland Public Television
Maryland Public Television (MPT) is a statewide, public-supported TV network and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate, offering entertaining, informative, educational, and inspiring content delivered by traditional broadcasting and streaming on TVs, computers, and mobile devices. A state agency, it operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission. MPT creates and distributes local, regional, and national content and is a frequent winner of regional Emmy® Awards. MPT’s commitment to educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through instructional events and Thinkport.org. MPT’s year-round community engagement activities connect viewers with resources on a wide range of topics. For more information visit mpt.org.
About Journey Films
Journey Films was founded in 1983 by award-winning filmmaker Martin Doblmeier as a television and film production company specializing in religion, faith, and spirituality. Journey Films has produced more than 30 documentary films that have aired on PBS, ABC, NBC, the BBC, and on broadcast outlets around the world, including BONHOEFFER, BACKS AGAINST THE WALL: The Howard Thurman Story, REVOLUTION OF THE HEART: The Dorothy Day Story, and SPIRITUAL AUDACITY: The Abraham Joshua Heschel Story. Journey’s films have been translated into more than a dozen languages. In all, Journey Films has won three regional Emmy® Awards, eight Gabriel Awards for the nation’s best film on a topic of religion, three Gold Awards at the US International Film and Television Festival, the Sun Valley Film Festival, and many others.
About Martin Doblmeier
Doblmeier holds degrees in Religious Studies, Broadcast Journalism, and three honorary degrees in Fine Arts and Humane Letters. Since 1984 he has produced and directed more than 30 films focused on religion, faith, and spirituality. Doblmeier combines a lifelong interest in religion with a passion for storytelling. Over the years he has traveled on location to more than forty countries to profile numerous religious leaders, spiritual communities, heads of state, and Nobel Laureates. His films explore how belief can lead individuals to extraordinary acts, how spirituality creates and sustains communities, and how faith is lived in extraordinary ways.
