The Gethsemane Film Project

The Church of Gethsemane is a special Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) located in Brooklyn, NY. It is run by and for prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and individuals in partnership with the poor and imprisoned. Gethsemane's story is one of mutual transformation, both of ex-prisoners and of individuals from mainstream churches who have risked personal involvement with them. The Gethsemane Film Project will explore how a community like Gethsemane manifests not only the mission of the Presbyterian denomination, but also the principles at the heart of all faiths that value equality and justice.

The Gethsemane Film Project, like the Church itself, will call into question the place of the poor in mainstream religions in America today, and provoke discussion about criminal justice policies and the effects of those policies on poor and predominantly African American families all over the country. The camera will focus on the stories of a handful of quietly remarkable people whose lives have been transformed by their involvement with the Church of Gethsemane and its sister organization, JusticeWorks Community, a national public policy reform organization.

By connecting the values of Gethsemane with other progressive religious voices - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist - The Gethsemane Film Project will initiate a dialogue about the urgent need for embracing our common humanity as the primary moral imperative for our world.