It’s Good Friday. Here’s a post in honour of the one who’s death is marked by this holiday. Many of the depictions of Jesus in movies over the last century have been fairly criticized for their use of white actors with blue eyes. Now there’s a movie coming with Jesus portrayed as a black Jew.
Color of the Cross, being released in November this year, portrays the last 48 hours of Jesus’ life – with a black actor in the starring role: Jean-Claude La Marre. La Marre, director and scriptwriter for the film, was also involved with African American-themed Westerns “Gang of Roses,” which starred musicians Lil Kim and Bobby Brown, and “Brothers in Arms.” Mary will be portrayed by Debbi Morgan of “Coach Carter” and “Woman Thou Art Loosed”. Click on the image below to play the video.
Credits
Filming was produced at Nu-Lite Entertainment by producers Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, Jessie Levostre and Kenneth Halsband, executive producers Lila Aviv, Paul Noe, Marc Porterfield, Michele Gonda and co-producer Marcello Thedford. Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray served as the senior pastor of Los Angeles’ First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) for over 27 years and played a leading role in calming the tension sparked off in the race riots in Los Angeles in 1992.
Not only does this film challenge mainstream perceptions of Jesus. The movie paints his death as a race-related crime.
Color of the Cross has an official site: www.colorofthecross.com which features stills and a trailer in Quicktime, Windows Media and Flash formats.
‘Facts’ from the Color of Jesus web site
1. The Bible describes Jesus’ hair as “woolly” in texture and feet brown as brass. (This is a reference to Daniel 7:9 and Revelation 1:14-15).
2. Prior to the Roman Catholic church’s commisioning Da Vinci, Jesus was always portrayed as a dark-skinned Semite.
3. Jesus’ hair, as with most Jews of that period, would have been worn short.
4. After a price was placed on his head when he was an infant, Jesus was forced into exile, escaping into Egypt and hiding there for several years before returning to Jeruselem. Not to have been detected in Egypt assumes he was of the same color hue as the Egyptians.
5. Jesus was a descendent of Bathsheeba, an African woman. They shared the same lineage.
6. Hollywood has never made a black jesus movie, before “Color Of The Cross” was independently made.
I am so excited. This is pretty awesome.
We are living in the times when truths are revealed. This is a truth.
BRING IT ON. THIS IS LONG OVERDUE.
Going to see it tonight. This is the truth, woolly hair what does that tell you, who has woolly hair(people of color), feet brown as brass!
Thanks to Mr. La Marre for Color Of The Cross