|
|
| l Read GNT l Find GNT l Home Delivery l Advertise l Contests l Neat Stuff l About Us l Contact Us l | |
Passion Play Director Candidate for Spielberg Reality Show By Ashley Taylor
One talented Tucsonan may have the opportunity of a lifetime this summer. Michael Dohrmann, director of Passion Play Tucson for the last three years, may be part of a new reality show created by Steven Spielberg called "On the Lot." The show is set to premiere May 22nd on the Fox network.
Dohrmann, with the help of about 30 others, created a five-minute film about Pontius Pilate that he submitted to the competition in February. The film aired for about a month on the show's Web site, www.thelot.com, and had more than 11,000 viewings. His film received hundreds of votes and a five-star rating - a considerable standing among other competitors.
From a pool of more than 12,000 filmmakers who entered the competition, only sixteen will be selected to be on the show. According to the program's website, competitors must make a new 5-minute film of a different genre every week, and the audience will have the power to eliminate contestants. The winner will receive a $1 million development deal from DreamWorks to make a full feature film.
Dohrmann, 29, said that he is nervous at the thought of being on the show, but feels he is capable of competing with anyone else on the program. "I'm very confident I can do the job," he said. His goal is to eventually make his film, "Pilate," into a full length feature.
" Pilate," Dohrmann said, "focuses on Pontius Pilate's struggles to maintain order in Judea and his marriage, during the trial, execution and resurrection of Christ."
What makes this film stand out, according to Dohrmann, is that it does not focus on the passion of Christ, like many other films of this nature. "The big event is the resurrection. That is the emphasis," he said. "The resurrection of Christ is the most powerful event in human history. It's never been articulated in American cinema the way I feel it should."
Dohrmann, who is also an intern pastor at Palo Verde Baptist church, believes that it is the resurrection that bridges the gap between man and God. "That was the event that conquered death forever," he said. "On Good Friday Jesus atoned with blood, but on Easter Sunday he made the connection between man and God."
Aside from the challenges of any normal competition, Dohrmann must also face the reality that he is a Christian entering a traditionally secular environment.
" I'm sure it will be a challenge to maintain my beliefs, as in any industry. I will be facing the enemy in a hostile environment," he said. "There will definitely be filmmakers there who hate God."
Dohrmann, however, knows what it takes to stay grounded in any environment he may find himself in. "It doesn't matter where you're at," he said. "If you're not in the Word [the Bible], the things of this world will drown you out."
The filmmaker said that rather than being a hindrance to him, his faith in Christ may be a benefit in the competition. "It would make for good TV. If you want attention, there's nothing like a faith fight to make things interesting."
Dohrmann was the director, editor, producer and cinematographer of "Pilate," which was filmed in Tucson beginning in December, and was completed in late January.
© 2008 Good News Tucson™