A Voice from the Dust:
"Journey to the Promised Land"
Lehi's journey as a feature film
[NOTE: In April 2001 this film project was originally announced as an IMAX film, titled "Safe Passage." In September 2002 it was re-announced as a non-IMAX, regular-sized feature film, with the title "Journey to the Promised Land," but the plot and filmmakers involved remained the same.]
The first movie in the series, "Safe Passage," dramatically portrays the trial-laden exodus of Lehi's family from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., across the life-threatening Arabian desert and the stunning oceanic crossing, to the safety of the new world.
The production will utilize the talent of seasoned LDS filmmakers and other top industry professionals. Headed by Steven DeVore, founder of SyberVision Systems, the group consists of Scott Swofford (Vineyard Productions), Quinn Coleman (Warner Bros), Peter Johnson (award-winning director) and Reed Smoot, (award-winning cinematographer).
Executive producer DeVore is known for a $25,000 budgeted video documentary he wrote and produced in 1986 that resulted in over $125 million in revenues.
Swofford has extensive production experience resulting in acclaimed and financially successful large format commercial films as well as popular LDS themed productions such as the current "Testaments."
Smoot is one of the most prolific photographers of large format films. He has shot many of the most popular IMAX films, including Cirque de Soleil's "Journey of Man," "Galapagos," and, teaming with Swofford, "Mysteries of Egypt," and the current IMAX hit, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventrue."
Coleman, head of Worldwide Co-Productions and Acquisitions for Warner Bros. Studios, has been responsible for bringing many popular films to the theater, the most recent being the highly acclaimed "The Dish," one of Australia's top grossing domestic hits.
Johnson, who was recruited from Hollywood in 1983 to revamp the academic film program at BYU and later to upgrade the BYU Motion Picture Studio, has written and directed films for television, most notably the regional EMMY award-winning, "A More Perfect Union," which was also nominated for a national EMMY. Formerly Executive Producer with the Audiovisual Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Johnson also directed the highly acclaimed and popular "Mountain of the Lord."
"This is an exciting opportunity," states DeVore "to work with some of the most accomplished LDS filmmakers to bring to life tales from this special book. The giant screen format (eight story high screen) will enable audiences to vicariously experience one of the world's greatest stories on the world's largest screen."
Coleman believes that the LDS worldwide audience and backend video sales are significant enough to profitably support the film's multi-million dollar million budget.
"We have done our homework, analyzed the numbers," claims Coleman, "and feel that the large screen LDS epic is a winner, especially when you factor in word-of-mouth and video sales."
"Safe Passage" is targeted for release in mid-2002.
DeVore and Johnson are currently in production on the documentary version of Lehi's journey from Jerusalem to ancient America. Working in association with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies at BYU (FARMS), they will spend a month in Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Jerusalem filming the documentary prelude to the large screen dramatic version.
Also in development from the producers are other LDS-themed epic films for the large screen including the story of the restoration and the epic pioneer journey.
DeVore's strength may be his unabashed enthusiasm. He's like an ethical Gully Foyle, ready to succeed at most anything by sheer force of will.
From "Beowulf Included in InteliQuest's The World's 100 Greatest Books Audio Collection:
(Salt Lake City, UT) Beowulf, the great English epic, has been selected by Inteliquest Learning Systems to be included in its "The World's 100 Greatest Books Audio Collection." This collection consists of 100 45-minute audio summaries of the great books of western literature. The 100 summaries are bundled into one collection which, claims the company, is one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind ever put together.One of the great books featured in the audio collection is Beowulf. Beowulf is the oldest English epic, composed in the early 8th century by an unknown Northumbrian bard, and drawn from Scandinavian history and folk sources. It recounts Beowulf's struggle with the water monster Grendel and Grendel's mother; the hero's victory in old age over a dragon; and his death and funeral. Beowulf, in alliterative verse, fuses Christian elements with a picture of old Germanic life.
The audio summary, based on a new learning technology developed by InteliQuest founder Steven DeVore, is designed to create a "theater of the mind" listening experience. As the learner listens to the Beowulf audio, the words trigger vivid images in the mind that simulates a "being there" experience. This experience promotes understanding, learning, and retention of the Beowulf story and its themes.
DeVore is the founder of SyberVision Systems and the developer of the world-renowned SyberVision Expert Learning technology. DeVore developed the technology in an 8-year collaboration with the Stanford University Neuropsychological Research Laboratories under the direction of Dr. Karl Pribram, the founder of the science of neuropsychology. DeVore applied Pribram's brain/memory/learning research into practical programs designed to quickly and dramatically improve people's skills and behaviors in health, education (foreign language development), sports, personal achievement, and relationships.
The application of this learning technology to great literature is a first for DeVore. "Most of us," claims DeVore, "don't have the time to sit down and read a great book of world literature--nonetheless 100 books." "What we have done," continues DeVore, "is distill the great ideas and themes from these books and present them in such a way that listeners retain, in a 45-minute listening session, as much knowledge as if they had spent dozens of hours reading the work."
DeVore states that this is not a substitute for reading the book but provides an in-depth "viceral immersion" experience into the work itself --the "next best thing to reading the book." DeVore claims that listeners can complete the entire self-study course of 100 books in less than two months, listening to two 45-sessions per day while they commute, exercise, or relax at home--in their "otherwise unproductive time." DeVore believes it would take most people 25 years to complete the entire collection through reading alone and most of what they read would be forgotten.
"In contrast," DeVore concludes, "the InteliQuest learning system is designed to promote understanding and retention of most of the knowledge in the collection.
"After listening to the entire collection, one has a storehouse of knowledge unequalled to or unsurpassed by most people who have ever lived. The result is incredible."
To learn more about "The World's 100 Greatest Books Audio Collection" visit the InteliQuest Learning Systems' web site.
"Rigoletto" (1993), for instance, featured music by Sam Cardon and Kurt Bestor.
Swofford also brought in Sam Cardon to work on "Mysteries of Egypt" (1998) and "Hearst Castle: Building the Dream" (1996) He also utilized the talents of Kurt Bestor to provide the music for "Secret of Treasure Mountain" (1993) and "Split Infinity" (1992). ("Secret of Treasure Mountain", by the way, featured actor Rick Macy, who played Ernie, the first counsellor in the bishopric, in Richard Dutcher's "Brigham City.")
"Rigoletto", "Secret of Treasure Mountain" and "Split Infinity" were all written by Leo Paur. Paur also directed "Rigoletto."
Swofford produced "Seasons of the Heart" (1993), which was based on a book by Latter-day Saint author Lael J. Littke and was directed by Latter-day Saint director T.C. Christensen.
But the Swofford-produced films that Latter-day Saint audiences will be most familiar with are "Legacy" (1990) and "Testaments" (2000), the two biggest films ever commissioned by the Church. Both were directed by Academy Award-winning director Kieth Merrill. Swofford also worked with Merrill on the IMAX films "Olympic Glory" (1999).
As stated above, Johnson "was recruited from Hollywood in 1983 to revamp the academic film program at BYU and later to upgrade the BYU Motion Picture Studio." He was once an executive producer with the Audiovisual Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Johnson was one of the screenwriters of "Thanksgiving Promise," the 1986 Disney television movie based on a novel by Blaine and Brent Yorgason. Fellow BYU faculty member Glenn L. Anderson (author of The Millennium File and The Doomsday Factor) was another screenwriter for that project. Johnson also worked on "The Witching of Ben Wagner", a 1987 Disney television movie directed by Paul Annett, and written by Malcolm Marmorstein.
Johnson was director of "Mountain of the Lord." He worked on "Zion's Camp" and the widely-distributed "Man's Search For Happiness."
Johnson was the producer of "Encyclopedia Brown", a 1989 HBO project directed by Savage Steve Holland and written by D.J. MacHale.
Johnson worked on "Bordertown," a project conceived by acclaimed science fiction author Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game; Saints; etc.). "Bordertown" was intended to be the pilot for a network or syndicated television series. It was shot in Mexico with a Mexican crew, but the footage was of never turned into a completed product.
Johnson also worked on "A More Perfect Union: American Becomes A Nation." This Emmy-nominated 1989 PBS documentary was directed by Ari Sheinkin and Stephen Sheinkin, and written by renowned Latter-day Saint playwrite Tim Slover ("March Tale", Broadway's "A Joyful Noise").
Smoot is one of the most prolific photographers of large format films. He has shot many of the most popular IMAX films, including Cirque de Soleil's "Journey of Man," "Galapagos," and, teaming with Swofford, "Mysteries of Egypt," and the current IMAX hit, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventrue."
Smoot's IMDb entry lists 35 films on which he was the cinematographer. In addition to numerous popular IMAX films, he was also the cinematographer on "Legacy" for the Church, "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" for Disney (1993), and many other films.
Smoot has one directorial credit: The Great American West (1997).
Smoot's most recent film was "All Access," an IMAX concert film that opened the same weekend as Richard Dutcher's "Brigham City." Critical response has been extremely positive for "All Access," which takes viewers backstage and onstage with numerous popular music groups.
Two production companies are launching LDS-themed movie projects.
A group of Hollywood pros, all of them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have announced a plan to develop large-screen format movies based on stories from The Book of Mormon.
The first movie is "Safe Passage," which portrays the exodus of Lehi's family from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., across the Arabian desert and an ocean to the Americas. A release date of mid-2002 has been targeted.
The filmmakers are led by Steven DeVore, founder of SyberVision Systems. They include: Scott Swofford, whose Vineyard Productions made "Testaments," the movie now playing at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building; Warner Bros. executive Quinn Coleman; director Peter Johnson and cinematographer Reed Smoot.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake City-based Ampersand Films plans to make "Handcart," a drama based on the real-life struggles of Mormon pioneers crossing the West to join Brigham Young's Utah settlers.
Kels Goodman, whose comedy "Yankee 2 Kilo" was released on video in 1999, will direct. Arthur Reid is the producer. A release date of July 24, 2002, is planned.
He's made thirteen Imax films, worked in thirty countries, earned an Academy Award nomination and made the highest grossing IMAX film of last year. But he's best known for his work in other formats -- having produced the box-office hit, Mysteries Of Egypt with Omar Sharif for the National Geographic and Amazon, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998. And he's now in India, working with Bharatbala Productions, recreating an epic historical.
You're among the very few producers currently making IMAX films. Does that make you some thing of a pioneer, do you reckon? (Laughs) You bet! Well, sometimes, being a pioneer just means you're willing to do the hard work without expecting too much by way of returns. That is the case with IMAX producers and certainly, with Bharatbala Productions, too. It isn't an easy task, you know, to undertake a period epic in IMAX when every other producer you know is content simply to use the more traditional formats for filmmaking.
How
did you get hooked on to producing films on this unusual movie format?
I love the concept of IMAX, which is to take the viewer to an experience
he couldn't otherwise have. That usually means the filmmakers
have to go some place exotic. And that explains how I've lived
with the primitive tribes in the Amazon jungles, crawled into dark,
cavernous tombs in Egypt, toured Europe, and yes, even spent months
aboard a Russian icebreaker ship in the Antarctic. If you were a
lover of adventure, you wouldn't be anywhere else, if you ask
me.
What
do you think are the unique features of this film format?
IMAX means a total immersion in what is usually an extremely beautiful
or at least stimulating experience. Sound, picture, and size combine
to make an unforgettable impression.
How
cost-effective are IMAX films, considering they can be screened
only in IMAX theatres and not at conventional cinemas?
The whole economic structure of the large format business means
that films need to be made for around US$ 4-6 million, and that
they will play in a majority of the 360 IMAX theatres. The good
ones do very well, and as with every other industry, the bad ones
do poorly.
You
produced the highest grossing (US$ 75 m) IMAX film, last year. Tell
us about some of the other films you've made.
I've made several films on the large format and these include
Alamo, The Price of Freedom, Yellowstone, Zion, Polynesian Odyssey,
The Great American West, Legacy, To Be An Astronoaut, Olympic Glory
and Testaments. And then, of course, there's also this year's
rather surprising hit, Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure.
You've
worked with director Milos Forman, known for his movies like Amadeus,
Cuckoo's Nest and Man in the Moon. What was the experience
like?
Milos is truly a master storyteller of our times. He feels strongly
and passionately about issues such as freedom of choice, and government
oppression, which is why he keeps returning to films about social
issues. Every moment of my months working with him in Japan was
a learning experience.
You've
also worked with producer Frank Marshall of ET and Indiana Jones
fame. What did you learn from the experience?
Frank is truly a pioneer, and prides himself on doing things
that are not usually attempted in entertainment. Take my word for
it, you can now look for him to make significant contributions to
IMAX in the near future.
You've
made films for several media -- TV, feature films and IMAX.
Do you think you have a soft corner for IMAX?
Yes, like I said, I do love the IMAX format and the kind of
movies that are made in IMAX. But you will see me return to the
other formats as well. Variety after all is the spice of life!
What's
the nature of the deal with Bharatbala Productions like? Considering
you've made IMAX movies before, why this joint deal with a
relative newcomer to the field?
Bala is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and when I saw his
work and listened to his vision for this project, I had no choice
but to commit to helping him make this film. He is uniquely qualified
to make IMAX films, and I look forward to being his line-producer.
The
joint venture with Bharatbala, we're told, is an epic historical
romance. Care to tell us about it?
Yes, indeed, it narrates the tale of Shah Jahan, the legendary Mughal
emperor who erected the Taj Mahal, and of his touching love for
his wife Mumtaz. I can't tell you anything more about it besides
this, that Aishwarya Rai plays Mumtaz in the movie.
What's
the kind of budget you have to play with on this project? How long
do you think it's going to take you to complete it?
Announcements about the specifics of script, cost and budget
aren't forthcoming, but we will be working for the next year
to complete it, and Bala has already spent two years developing
it. I promise the film will have been worth the wait.
After
this, what? Where does Scott Swofford go from here?
I'll focus for a time on this project, and then I do have a
number of others in the pipeline. If I stay with IMAX films for
a while, you can bet that wherever I'm headed, it will be someplace very, very interesting.
-Shaju George
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - A group of accomplished LDS filmmakers have begun development on the first of a series of epic motion pictures based on stories from the Book of Mormon. Enitled "A Voice From The Dust" the slate of films will be full-length motion pictures.
The first movie in the series, "Journey To The Promised Land," dramatically portrays the trial-laden exodus of Lehi's family from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., across the life-threatening Arabian desert and the stunning oceanic crossing, to the safety of the new world.
The production will utilize the talent of seasoned LDS filmmakers and other top industry professionals. Headed by Steven DeVore, founder of SyberVision Systems, the group consists of Peter Johnson (award-winning director), Reed Smoot, (award-winning cinematographer), Quinn Coleman (Warner Bros), and Scott Swofford (Vineyard Productions).
Executive producer DeVore is known for a $25,000 budgeted video documentary he wrote, produced, and distributed that resulted in over $125 million in revenues.
Johnson, who was recruited from Hollywood in 1983 to revamp the academic film program at BYU and later to upgrade the BYU Motion Picture Studio, has written and directed films for television, most notably the regional EMMY award-winning, "A More Perfect Union," which was also nominated for a national EMMY. Formerly Executive Producer with the Audiovisual Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Johnson also directed the highly acclaimed and popular "Mountain of the Lord."
Smoot, recent recipient of the distinguished Kodak Lifetime Achievemen Award for Motion Picture Cinematography, is of is one of the most prolific photographers of large format films. He has shot many of the most popular IMAX films, including Cirque de Soleil's "Journey of Man," "Galapagos," and, teaming with Swofford, "Mysteries of Egypt," and the current IMAX hit, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventrue."
Coleman, head of Worldwide Co-Productions and Acquisitions for Warner Bros. Studios, has been responsible for bringing many popular films to the theater, the most recent being the highly acclaimed "The Dish," one of Australia's top grossing domestic hits.
Swofford has extensive production experience resulting in acclaimed and financially successful large format commercial films as well as popular LDS themed productions such as the current "Testaments."
"This is an exciting opportunity," states DeVore "to work with some of the most accomplished LDS filmmakers to bring to life tales from this special book. The motion picture format will enable audiences to vicariously experience one of the world's greatest stories."
Coleman believes that the LDS worldwide audience and backend video sales are significant enough to profitably support the film's multi-million dollar million budget.
"The screenplay is absolutely phenomenal. Every LDS person will want to see it. Afterwards, the word-of-mouth will be incredible," claims Coleman. "We have done our homework, analyzed the numbers, and feel that the this classic LDS epic is a winner."
"Journey to The Promised Land" is targeted for release in late-2003.
DeVore and Johnson are currently in production on the documentary version of Lehi's journey from Jerusalem to ancient America. Working in association with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies at BYU (FARMS), they recently returned from Yemen where they filmed a candidate site for Nahom, the place where Nephi indicated Ishmael, his father-in-law, was buried during the journey.
Also in development from the producers are other LDS-themed epic films for the large screen including the story of the restoration and the epic pioneer journey.
About the Author:
Peter Johnson is the screenwriter and director of the first ever epic dramatic motion picture on the Book of Mormon, "A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land." Peter, Steve DeVore (executive producer), Brent Hall (Director of Operations FARMS), Kent Brown (Professor of Ancient Scripture BYU), and a LDS film crew were in Yemen on September 11, 2001 filming a a documentary for FARMS on Lehi's journey through the Arabian desert and doing location scouting for the motion picture. In this intriguing and insightful article Peter gives a first-hand account of his personal "journey" through both the land of Lehi and Al-Qaeda.
It had been a long and intense day of filming. A glaring hot sun sent the camera crew searching for the right filters. An incessant wind blew dust and sand all over the equipment and swirled it into our faces. And a group of angry French tourists kept trying to ruin the shot with their boisterous heckling because they weren't permitted to enter the compound -- the recently discovered fabulous temple of the Queen of Sheba. Still, we got some great footage, and to a film maker, the dust, the sweat, the public relations efforts, the lack of sleep all seem a small price to pay when the footage is "spectacular."
But our excitement ended suddenly when we reached our hotel and someone cried, "Something horrible has happened. Turn on CNN."
My small documentary film crew sat transfixed in front of the television in one of our hotel rooms and watched the shocking events of 9/ll unfold in their horrific, graphic detail. After some time of riveted, breathless attention, I quietly said, "Well, we are watching the murderous acts of terrorists against America. They're probably from the Middle-East and we are sitting here in the middle of Yemen. What are your feelings as to what we should do?"
Another cruel act of terrorism
We were deep in the Arabian desert, a very long way from Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, and a sudden sense of vulnerability and apprehension filled the crew. We were starkly reminded of our aborted attempt to film here almost a year earlier because of the bombing of the USS Cole in the Yemeni harbor of Aden. Another cruel, deadly act of terrorism. We were literally going to buy the flight tickets on the day the USS Cole was bombed, but now a year later, we had been thrilled to actually be filming in the land crossed by Lehi and his family as they made their epic journey to their promised land.
I was honored to be with this crew of top LDS filmmakers and scholars. My respect for the wisdom, credibility, and knowledge of our scholars was enormous.
Our documentary on Lehi's journey was being produced for FARMS (Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies at BYU). For some time I had been enamored with the stunning discoveries that FARMS scholars had made in their pursuit of greater truth and understanding of Lehi's journey through this region of the old world. Now, to be here and film the very land that had been trod by these great Book of Mormon heroes was a singular experience.
The Birth of the Motion Picture
From the beginning, my excitement for the documentary was consuming. And as I worked on it, a sense of taking this profound information to the "next level" gradually grew to an obvious conclusion. Not only should this scholarly documentary be made, but the grand, epic, dramatic, theatrical motion picture should also be made.
I approached my colleague and Executive Producer for the documentary, Steve DeVore, about producing the longer, dramatic film and he immediately caught the vision. But we committed to each other, that such a film had to have the ring of veracity to it. It had to be true to the text and spirit of Nephi's account without unnecessary embellishments for dramatic enhancement. The Book of Mormon is so dramatically potent, why would anyone want to fictionalize it anyway? And so we launched into our own epic journey of faith to make both films.
Now, as we traversed and filmed the land crossed by Lehi and his family, we researched, observed, and absorbed each new location with the larger purpose in mind -- making a stunning documentary to illuminate with greater understanding the profound research of our scholars, and to be uniquely prepared with firsthand, penetrating knowledge to produce a momentous dramatic motion picture worthy of the noble lives and rich characters found in the sacred text.
A Team of Scholars & Rare Footage
We depended on our great friend Brent Hall, Director of Operations for FARMS, who shepherded our crew through the logistics of being in Yemen. Dr. Kent Brown, Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU, was our lead expert, and had made arrangements with Dr. Yusuf Abdullah, President of Antiquities, Museums, and Manuscripts for Yemen, and Dr. Abdu Ghaleb, an amazing Yemeni archeologist, to allow our crew to film in places rarely seen by Westerners.
Dr. Arnold Green, Director of the BYU Jerusalem Center, and one of the foremost experts on this part of the world, added his insights and expertise as we filmed and explored this amazing land.
We each tried to absorb the ambience, feel the character of the landscape, and imagine those intrepid travelers crossing a desert so formidable as to almost defy comprehension. Most members of the Church would never have the opportunity to see firsthand the stark and vivid landscape that would require the prophetic direction of Lehi and the unyielding faith of Nephi.
A key site we filmed was the area known as Nahom. Other than Jerusalem, Nahom is the only place that Nephi records as an already existing name. When Ishmael died he was buried at "the place which was called Nahom." It would have been virtually impossible for Joseph Smith to know that there was a place on the Arabian peninsula known as Nahom.
Mummies from Nahom
Furthermore, this place was a burial ground. Our Yemeni archeologist, Dr. Abdu Ghaleb, discovered mummies buried there which have been dated to around 600 BC. In an interview, Dr. Abdu stated, "This is the land of Nahom. After the discovery of this burial ground, we surveyed the whole area to see how many tombs were in this area, and we found that a the whole area was used as a burial ground. Anybody can be buried within this area starting with 600 BC."
We filmed these burial mounds, (there are hundreds) and the 600 BC mummies that were found at the site. We had a sense of the emotional anguish and grief the family experienced there.
As Dr. Brown explained, "They'd have buried Ishmael here to great mourning. One of the reasons the people felt to mourn was because he was an Israelite, and to be buried away from his home was something of a loss, but there was no way that his family members could take him back home. They were now 1400 miles south of Jerusalem. They had to keep going".
From Nahom to Bountiful
Nahom was also a turning point in their journey. Nephi states that after burying Ishmael, they turned Eastward and continued that direction until they reached their "Bountiful."
We followed that route and explored the land with the sweeping and probing eye of the camera -- and the journey visually came to life as we experienced the unrelenting rugged terrain that marked the journey of these courageous travelers. Our empathy for this band of sojourners, -- Nephi, Sam, Lehi, Sariah, and the others -- was enhanced as we observed the true difficulty of the journey demanding a remarkable test of faith and endurance.
"Given the conditions that we know exist in the deserts of Arabia," observed Dr. Brown, "one cannot blame in a way members of the family who came through here and saw nothing but heat, sand, flies, scorpions.
"This desert crossing was a furnace of affliction. I think that this was the place which tried the souls of people, and proved them, whether they were on the Lord's side or not.
"Some of the members of the family did fine, they swallowed their pride -- proud people from Jerusalem, Israelites, members of God's people -- and they accepted what the Lord offered them and went on. For the others who couldn't, or wouldn't, this must have been a horrific trial.
"Yet, for those who would pass the test," concluded Dr. Brown, "God had formed them in his crucible. Had shaped them and molded them so that they were ready to begin another people of God."
Trapped Near an Al-Qaeda Camp
With smoke billowing across Manhattan from the attack, the first of the Trade Towers collapsed. We stared in disbelief at our primitive hotel television set. We called the American Embassy in Sana'a and were told that we were safer out in the desert (only a few miles from an Al-Qaeda camp) than in the city or at the airport. All flights to the US had been canceled. There were few flights that left Sana'a each week under normal situations. So, saddened as we were, we decided to exercise our own faith and felt a sense of peace to keep filming until arrangements could be made to return home.
As part of our permission to film in Yemen, the government provided us with a military escort -- about 20 Yemeni soldiers who were always at the front and rear of our "caravan" of Landcruisers. The rear vehicle was a military truck fitted with a 50 caliber machine gun.
Genuine Sorrow
We had an early call the next morning after the terrorist attack, and as I approached our vehicles, I noticed many of the drivers and soldiers were somber and would hardly to look at me. I went to the commander of the soldiers who expressed through his very limited English how sorry they all felt. With tear moistened eyes, he said they were embarrassed and very sad for us.
I expressed to him my genuine feelings of affection for the Yemeni people and told him that, even though this horrible act of terror had been done, we were glad for our friends in his country. He seemed relieved and moved by that, and from then on we experienced an increase of kindness and consideration from our escorts.
Later that day, as we stopped to rest from many hours of traveling across the forbidding sand dune desert of the great Arabian "empty quarter," I marveled that as far as I could see in all directions, there was nothing but sand dunes. Some of them rose hundreds of feet. Bedouin guides had led us across this hot and threatening desert for we were not on any road.
Appreciation for the Liahona
As I pondered Lehi and his small family caravan, I had renewed appreciation for the necessity of the Liahona. One would not last long wandering in this environment without knowing where water and food could be obtained. In his mercy, God provided them with the critical "compass" to guide them and make their survival possible.
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt a hand grasp mine. I looked over to see one of our young Bedouin guides smiling at me. He then took a ring off his finger and held it out for me to inspect. I admired it and handed it back to him but he refused to take it. No matter how I tried to give it back, he insisted that I keep it. Neither of us spoke the other's language and I was deeply touched by his own attempt to reach out to me and offer some sympathetic gesture.
Our journey to film the land of Lehi's journey would have been a thrilling once-in-a-lifetime adventure without the added dimension of being caught in a land positioned too closely to terrorist activity. But that unexpected world event caused me to reflect all the more on the mercy of God toward his children on earth.
Soon after Lehi's exodus, Jerusalem was sacked and destroyed by the Babylonians. It was because of his concern, faith, and obedience that Lehi saved his family from death or captivity even though their journey to a promised land put them through an excruciatingly difficult test.
Soul Searching Journey of Faith
Every film maker knows that to make a film, whether documentary or theatrical, a soul searching and often challenging journey of faith must also be made -- developing and writing a terrific screenplay, meticulously researching the financial and distribution feasibility, preparing the prospectus and obtaining the financing -- and THEN the work really begins.
But I am happy that a year after that singular experience in Yemen, we have a completed screenplay for the dramatic theatrical film, the documentary is moving along well with more filming planned, and financing the film is well under way.
A committed staff of top professionals are putting their best efforts to prepare and guide "A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land" to its eventual completion and look forward to sharing our vision with an audience that we know is as passionate about the subject as we are.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
Massive sand dunes in Yemen's "Empty Quarter." For scale, note the film crew at the bottom left.
Filming at the Queen of Sheba's Palace in Marib, Yemen on September 11, 2001. Peter Johnson (center) Kent Brown (rear) and Steve DeVore (right).
The bedouin sheik who provided tribal protection for the film crew after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A few months after the attacks, the Yemen military had a ferocious gun battle with tribal members who were hiding an Al-Qaeda fugitive. Nine Yemeni soldiers were killed.
Dr. Kent Brown surveying the Wadi Jawf -- a fertile valley near Nahom where Lehi's party may have rested before Ishmael's death and prior to their short journey to Nahom site to bury Ishmael.
Steve DeVore (L), Dr. Kent Brown (C) and Peter Johnson pose for a crew shot at the Wadi Jawf.
Burial mounds at Nahom
Dr. Brown (forefront) leads the production team on an exploration of the Nahom burial ground.
Dr. Abu Ghaleb, Yemen archeologist who discovered and excavated the Nahom burial site in 1996. He was also the host to the FARMS' documentary film team.
Close up of a grave site at the Nahom Burial ground.
600 BC circa mummy taken from the Nahom burial site in 1996 by Dr. Abu Ghaleb.
Another 600 BC circa mummy taken from the Nahom burial site in 1996 by Dr. Abu Ghaleb. The mummy is wrapped in a leather bag.
Nahom natives (left) and Yemen soldiers pose with a machine gun-toting Peter Johnson.
A ancient altar with the inscription "Nahom" donated to a temple in about 600 BC by the citizens of Nahom.
Steve DeVore (L) and Brent Hall take a break from filming at the ancient town of Marib. September 11, 2002.