Sounds of Faith - Chicago Documentary
Sounds of Faith - Chicago is a thirty minute documentary that will examine the three Abrahamic faiths within the vibrant cultural context of Chicago, a major center of global religious diversity. From chant and recitation to complex ritual music, the program will foster a deeper understanding of the historical and modern interplay of sounds in these three faiths.Sounds of Faith - Chicago will be compelling and enthralling, filled with personal stories, aural richness, and visual beauty.
Bill Kurtis will introduce the central theme and its main topics through voice-over narration and continue through the entirety of the program. His explanations of the relationship between sound and religious devotion will be complemented by footage of diverse sacred sound environments throughout Chicago.
This introduction will segue into the personal lives of the Chicago faithful. From the Jewish tradition we will profile Alberto Mizrahi, one of the world's leading interpreters of Jewish music, who has performed in recitals, symphony concerts, and operas. He is Hazzan of the historic Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago. From the Christian tradition we will profile a gospel singer, Walter Owens, director of the Salem Baptist Church Choir in Chicago. We will examine the effect of gospel music on his life and his community. A performer of the traditional Islamic arts, Amir Koushkani, will discuss how his skill is passed along orally, from teacher to student, writing God’s words, in a sense, onto the hearts of the faithful.
Each of the performers will speak about sounds in their faith on a deep, personal level. Complementing these stories will be footage of the cantor, the gospel singer, and the Qur’an reciter performing sacred sound in their respective faith communities. Throughout these personal faith stories, we will interweave scholars from each religious tradition as they comment on the fascinating relationship between sound and faith life and how sound is an important medium for exploring and celebrating the commonalities among the three religious traditions.
The central and unifying event of Sounds of Faith - Chicago will be an evening of sacred sound in the mystically beautiful setting of the University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel, on November 15, 2009. It will be a presentation of a tapestry of sound drawn from the rich liturgical and cultural traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The three faith practitioners that were introduced earlier in the film will participate in this concert event as well and provide their reflections on this experience. This will inform the viewer in a more personal and engaging way how creative interfaith encounters can be a mutually transformative and exciting way of learning more about our neighbors and ourselves. In turn we hope to discover the transformative value of such interactions in the role of peacemaking and respectful coexistence for all.