DOC NYC Exclusive: Clip From 'Sacred' Captures A Fertility Ceremony

When religion makes headlines, it’s usually because its being used as a political bargaining chip, or being discussed in the context of fundamentalist behavior. But for millions and millions of people faith plays a far more complex and intimate role in their lives, a piece of a larger fabric of humanity and devotion that helps guide them through times of joy and difficulty. And that’s the focus of Academy Award winning director Thomas Lennon‘s (“The Blood of Yingzhou District“) new film “Sacred,” making its North American premiere at DOC NYC.

The ambitious movie involved filmmakers from around the world, who all contributed scenes of religious tradition from their corner for the globe. And in this exclusive scene, director Guetty Felin contributes a fertility ceremony from Haiti. “She told me that she was the daughter of Vierge Miracle (the patron Saint of Saut d’Eau). Thirty years ago her mom made a pilgrimage here asking for a child and the following year, she was born,” Felin said. Here’s the official synopsis for “Sacred”:

Directed by Academy Award® winner Thomas Lennon and shot around the globe by 40 teams of filmmakers, Sacred immerses the viewer in an exploration of spirituality across cultures and religions. From a Buddhist monk’s 1,000-day circumnavigation of a mountain in Japan and Hasidic Jews’ ecstatic celebrations in Uman to Angola Prison inmates finding God and Malagasy turning of the bones to commemorate their dead, this breathtaking film is at once deeply personal yet universally human.

“Sacred” will make its North American premiere at DOC NYC on Saturday, November 12th.