If you’re unfamiliar with the Ark Encounter exhibit, then you’re in for a treat. Created as part of the Creation Museum in Kentucky, the exhibit features a replica of Noah’s Ark, as detailed in the Bible. And the folks over at the Creation Museum decided to go big with this replica, as they built a 510-foot version of the fabled ship. The ship, the people who created it, and creationism, as a whole, are the subject of the upcoming documentary “We Believe in Dinosaurs.”
The film, which is set to have its debut at the San Francisco International Film Festival this weekend, is directed by Clayton Brown and Monica Long Ross and details the work and incredible amount of belief that went into creating this monument to creationism. And in honor of the film’s premiere, we are proud to present an exclusive clip from the documentary, showcasing one of the subjects as he creates life-size replicas of the dinosaurs that would have been found on the Ark. Now, that last sentence might have thrown you for a loop. Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark? Yes, dear reader, that’s exactly what these folks believe.
For those not familiar with creationism, and particularly the set of beliefs from those who work at Ark Encounter, these people believe that dinosaurs and humans lived peacefully amongst each other approximately 6,000 years ago, after God created Earth in six days. That is, until everything went to shit once Eve ate the infamous apple and sin became a thing. From there, animals started preying on other animals and dinosaurs were suddenly not all our friends.
Now, as for the Ark, these folks believe that Noah didn’t just round up various mammals for his trip, he also brought along baby dinosaurs. (The adults were too big for the ship, obvi.) That’s where Doug Henderson, one of the lead artisans at Answers in Genesis, comes in. And as you see in the clip (below), he is most definitely a believer.
We spoke to the directors about the message of the film. And no, the film isn’t here to poke fun at creationists and their beliefs. There’s a bigger message to be found.
They said, “We’d like to raise ideas about the specter of science denial; about the state of science in our country; about what the Separation of Church and State means to Americans and American science policy; how religious views on science affect science education; what we want from science and where we are going as a country. We want ‘We Believe in Dinosaurs’ to be part of starting that dialogue. “
As mentioned, “We Believe in Dinosaurs” is poised to make a statement at this year’s SFIFF and we can’t wait to see what Brown and Ross have in store for audiences.
“We Believe in Dinosaurs” will premiere this Saturday, April 13.
You can watch the exclusive clip below: