Knocking (2006 film): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox film |
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⚫ | '''''Knocking''''' is a 2006 documentary film directed by [[Joel Engardio]] |
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| name = Knocking |
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| director = Joel Engardio<br>Tom Shepard |
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| based_on = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} --> |
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| producer = Joel Engardio<br>Tom Shepard |
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| starring = |
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| narrator = Joel Engardio |
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| cinematography = Howard Shack |
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| editing = Jim Klein |
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| music = Stephen Thomas Cavit |
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| studio = Open Door Productions<br>[[ITVS|ITVS International]] |
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| distributor = <!-- or: | distributors = --> |
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| released = {{Film date|2006|5|1|[[Indy Film Fest|Indianapolis International Film Festival]]}} |
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| runtime = |
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| country = United States |
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| language = English |
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}} |
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⚫ | '''''Knocking''''' is a 2006 documentary film directed by [[Joel Engardio]]<ref>Miller, Lisa, Newsweek, May 28, 2007, Belief Watch: Witness, http://www.newsweek.com/id/34541</ref> and Tom Shepard that focuses on the civil liberties fought for by [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]. It focuses primarily on the stories of three Jehovah's Witnesses, and how their lives demonstrate three fundamental Witness teachings that have affected society in general: [[Conscientious objector|Conscientious objection]], and rejection of [[blood transfusion]]s and [[Bellamy salute|saluting the flag]]. |
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''Knocking'' explored how Jehovah's Witnesses played a major role in First Amendment history, setting Supreme Court precedents that expanded individual liberties for all Americans. |
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''Knocking'' won the jury award for best documentary at the 2006 USA Film Festival in Dallas and the audience award for best documentary at the 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival. It has shown at film festivals in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]; [[Flint, Michigan]]; [[Cleveland, Ohio]]; [[Reno, Nevada]]; [[East Lansing, Michigan]]. |
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In interviews, director Joel Engardio said ''Knocking'' is not about the theology of Jehovah's Witnesses but instead uses the religion as a case study to examine how disparate and disagreeable groups can hold their unique beliefs without marginalizing or limiting the freedom of others. "We may not be each others' cup of tea," Engardio said on NPR, "but tolerance allows a variety of kettles to peacefully share the stove." |
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''Knocking's'' first televised broadcast was on the [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] series [[Independent Lens]] at 10pm on May 22, 2007 on most PBS stations. It was also broadcast on the Australian television program [[Compass (TV program)|Compass]] on May 18, 2008. The documentary is also available on [[DVD]]. |
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''Knocking'' won several film festival awards including Best Documentary at the USA Film Festival and was covered in ''Newsweek'', ''USA Today'' and newspapers across the United States. ''Entertainment Weekly'' named it "What to Watch." ''Knocking'' was broadcast in the United States on PBS. It was also broadcast in Australia, Canada, Greece and Israel. ''Knocking'' was released on DVD in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Korean. |
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==Criticism== |
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⚫ | ;Joseph Kempler: Born a [[Judaism|Jew]], he converted to the Jehovah's Witness faith |
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Critics of Jehovah's Witnesses said the film did not deal harshly enough with controversies surrounding the religion, like the practice of disfellowshiping. Engardio told film festival audiences that ''Knocking'' contained criticism organic to the film's story. Engardio has written ''Washington Post'' essays critical of Jehovah's Witness practices, including shunning<ref>{{cite web|title=When religion is the bully|date=November 7, 2010|author=Joel P. Engardio|work=OnFaith|url=http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2010/11/07/when-religion-is-the-bully/1226}}</ref> and refusal of blood transfusions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2010/02/17/witnesses-blood-and-spiritual-complications/4044|title=Witnesses, blood and spiritual complications|date=February 17, 2010|author=Joel P. Engardio|work=OnFaith}}</ref> Engardio has also written essays for the ''Washington Post'' and ''USA Today'' about civil rights issues involving Jehovah's Witnesses outside the scope of his film. Most notable was the 2010 ruling by a federal judge that overturned California's ban on gay marriage, in which the key legal precedent cited by the judge was a 1943 Supreme Court case won by Jehovah's Witnesses.<ref>{{cite web|title=How Jehovah's Witnesses helped kill Prop 8|date=August 6, 2010|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-08-06-engardio05_ST_N.htm}}</ref> Another ''Washington Post'' essay by Engardio warns that a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is a dangerous precedent that could lead to the loss of freedoms for other unpopular groups in the emerging democracy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2009/12/10/russias-ban-on-jehovahs-witnesses/8535|title=Russia's bans on Jehovah's Witnesses|date=December 10, 2009|author=Joel P. Engardio|work=OnFaith}}</ref> |
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⚫ | ;Seth Thomas: A 23-year-old Witness |
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⚫ | ;Joseph Kempler: Born a [[Judaism|Jew]], he converted to the Jehovah's Witness faith after observing their integrity alongside Jews in [[Nazi concentration camps]] during [[World War II]]. After [[Religious conversion|converting]], Kempler remained distant from his daughter who had been raised by Jewish relatives. To draw his family closer together, Kempler took them on a trip to [[Europe]] to see his home country and visit the [[Melk]] and [[Auschwitz]] concentration camps. |
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==Director== |
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[[Joel P. Engardio]] was the recipient of the 2000 National Press Foundation award for science writing. In 2003, his opinion writing was recognized with a first place award by the Society of Professional Journalists in Northern California. He was a finalist for the University of Missouri-Columbia 1999 national writing award in multicultural journalism. Engardio has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Weekly, Newsweek, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today and P.O.V. magazine. In radio, he has written essays broadcast on NPR’s ''This I Believe'' series and KQED-San Francisco’s ''Perspectives''. In television, Engardio worked as an associate producer for ABC News at the newsmagazine ''20/20'' and the network's documentary unit, ''Turning Point''. Engardio wrote, narrated and directed ''Knocking'', a documentary on Jehovah’s Witnesses that was nationally broadcast on the PBS series Independent Lens in 2007. It was named Best Documentary at the 2006 USA Film Festival. |
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⚫ | ;Seth Thomas: A 23-year-old Witness who, despite the risk and opposition from non-Witness relatives, refused [[blood transfusion]]s with his [[Liver transplantation|liver transplant]] operation. While initially refused treatment by the [[Baylor University Medical Center]] of [[Texas]], surgeons with the [[Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center|University of Southern California University Hospital]] in [[Los Angeles]] agreed to perform the operation, believing that research in [[bloodless surgery]] is necessary and should be explored. |
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Engardio graduated from Michigan State University, majoring in journalism and history. He was born and raised in [[Saginaw, Michigan]]. His mother was the only member of a large Italian Catholic family to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Engardio hence grew up in the religion, but he never got baptized. Engardio currently lives in New York where he does communication work for the American Civil Liberties Union. |
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USA Today article |
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http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/05/opening_the_doo.html |
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NPR broadcast |
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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16505529 |
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Newsweek article |
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http://www.newsweek.com/id/34541 |
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==DVD Lecture Series== |
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In the Special Features section of the DVD there is a series of lectures about different subjects pertaining to Jehovah's Witnesses. Lawyers, Doctors, Historians and Witness Elders all deal with these different topics. These topics are: Blood Transfusions, Witness legal rights and their legal history, Witnesses during [[Nazi]] Germany and the [[Holocaust]] and internal matters within the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. |
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==Film Festival awards== |
==Film Festival awards== |
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''Knocking'' has won: |
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*Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 USA Film Festival (Dallas) |
*Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 USA Film Festival (Dallas) |
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*Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 Trenton Film Festival (New Jersey) |
*Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 Trenton Film Festival (New Jersey) |
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*Best Documentary, Audience Award, 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival |
*Best Documentary, Audience Award, 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival |
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*Best First Film |
*Best First Film, 2006 Long Island International Film Expo |
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*Official Selection, 2006 Cleveland International Film Festival |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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*[[List of Holocaust films]] |
*[[List of Holocaust films]] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.knocking.org/ Official site] |
*[http://www.knocking.org/ Official site] |
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*[ |
*[https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/ ''Knocking''] site for [[Independent Lens]] on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] |
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj4cS4n9ZkA Knocking trailer] (video) |
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7L36kKrPPE Knocking Question and Answer Session] (video) |
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNAQhb3ZIpc Knocking DVD Extra] (video) |
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*[http://www.itvs.org/search/ataglance.htm?showID=1040 Independent Television Service] |
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*[http://www.filmarts.org/services.php?function=sponsoredproj&projects=fr#sp56 Film Arts Foundation] |
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*[http://clevelandfilm.org/films/details/index.php?films=detail&film_detail_ID=30 Summary at the Cleveland Film Society site] |
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*[http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2006/03/17/features/arts/barts0317.txt Behind the camera with Howard Shack], from JewishNews.com |
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[[Category:Documentary films about religion]] |
[[Category:Documentary films about religion]] |
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[[Category:American documentary films]] |
[[Category:American documentary films]] |
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[[Category:Films about Jehovah's Witnesses]] |
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[[Category:Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses]] |
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[[es:Knocking]] |
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[[ |
[[Category:2006 films]] |
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[[Category:2000s American films]] |
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[[pl:Knocking (film)]] |
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[[pt:Knocking]] |
Latest revision as of 17:02, 13 September 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2008) |
Knocking | |
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Directed by | Joel Engardio Tom Shepard |
Produced by | Joel Engardio Tom Shepard |
Narrated by | Joel Engardio |
Cinematography | Howard Shack |
Edited by | Jim Klein |
Music by | Stephen Thomas Cavit |
Production companies | Open Door Productions ITVS International |
Release date |
|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Knocking is a 2006 documentary film directed by Joel Engardio[1] and Tom Shepard that focuses on the civil liberties fought for by Jehovah's Witnesses. It focuses primarily on the stories of three Jehovah's Witnesses, and how their lives demonstrate three fundamental Witness teachings that have affected society in general: Conscientious objection, and rejection of blood transfusions and saluting the flag.
Knocking explored how Jehovah's Witnesses played a major role in First Amendment history, setting Supreme Court precedents that expanded individual liberties for all Americans.
In interviews, director Joel Engardio said Knocking is not about the theology of Jehovah's Witnesses but instead uses the religion as a case study to examine how disparate and disagreeable groups can hold their unique beliefs without marginalizing or limiting the freedom of others. "We may not be each others' cup of tea," Engardio said on NPR, "but tolerance allows a variety of kettles to peacefully share the stove."
Knocking won several film festival awards including Best Documentary at the USA Film Festival and was covered in Newsweek, USA Today and newspapers across the United States. Entertainment Weekly named it "What to Watch." Knocking was broadcast in the United States on PBS. It was also broadcast in Australia, Canada, Greece and Israel. Knocking was released on DVD in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Korean.
Criticism
[edit]Critics of Jehovah's Witnesses said the film did not deal harshly enough with controversies surrounding the religion, like the practice of disfellowshiping. Engardio told film festival audiences that Knocking contained criticism organic to the film's story. Engardio has written Washington Post essays critical of Jehovah's Witness practices, including shunning[2] and refusal of blood transfusions.[3] Engardio has also written essays for the Washington Post and USA Today about civil rights issues involving Jehovah's Witnesses outside the scope of his film. Most notable was the 2010 ruling by a federal judge that overturned California's ban on gay marriage, in which the key legal precedent cited by the judge was a 1943 Supreme Court case won by Jehovah's Witnesses.[4] Another Washington Post essay by Engardio warns that a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is a dangerous precedent that could lead to the loss of freedoms for other unpopular groups in the emerging democracy.[5]
Main characters
[edit]- Lillian Gobitas
- As a girl in Pennsylvania, she and thousands of other Witness children's refusal to salute the flag of the United States initiated controversy that led to a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling on freedom of religion.
- Joseph Kempler
- Born a Jew, he converted to the Jehovah's Witness faith after observing their integrity alongside Jews in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. After converting, Kempler remained distant from his daughter who had been raised by Jewish relatives. To draw his family closer together, Kempler took them on a trip to Europe to see his home country and visit the Melk and Auschwitz concentration camps.
- Seth Thomas
- A 23-year-old Witness who, despite the risk and opposition from non-Witness relatives, refused blood transfusions with his liver transplant operation. While initially refused treatment by the Baylor University Medical Center of Texas, surgeons with the University of Southern California University Hospital in Los Angeles agreed to perform the operation, believing that research in bloodless surgery is necessary and should be explored.
Film Festival awards
[edit]- Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 USA Film Festival (Dallas)
- Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 Trenton Film Festival (New Jersey)
- Best Documentary, Audience Award, 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival
- Best First Film, 2006 Long Island International Film Expo
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Miller, Lisa, Newsweek, May 28, 2007, Belief Watch: Witness, http://www.newsweek.com/id/34541
- ^ Joel P. Engardio (November 7, 2010). "When religion is the bully". OnFaith.
- ^ Joel P. Engardio (February 17, 2010). "Witnesses, blood and spiritual complications". OnFaith.
- ^ "How Jehovah's Witnesses helped kill Prop 8". August 6, 2010.
- ^ Joel P. Engardio (December 10, 2009). "Russia's bans on Jehovah's Witnesses". OnFaith.
External links
[edit]- Official site
- Knocking site for Independent Lens on PBS
- Knocking Study Guide PDF
- Knocking at IMDb