Media

“When the idea of making a film about this pilgrimage first arose, I had concerns: This would be a documentary based on someone else’s vision, a first for me. It would also involve filming a friend of many decades, something I had always avoided. Finally, the schedule looked impossibly tight for a film crew. I worried we wouldn’t be able to capture the splendor of the art and architecture while faithfully chronicling the experiences of those on this trip.

Recently, I learned the term “apophatic” a theological concept that helped me conclude I could unburden myself of trying to exhaustively capture the journey or explain all of the concepts introduced along the way. As Gregory of Nyssa put it, “The true knowledge and vision of God consists in this—in seeing that He is invisible, because what we seek lies beyond all knowledge.” This idea freed me to create a film that offers viewers traces of the beauty we inhaled and a sense of the ineffable the pilgrims experienced. I hope this film inspires others to plot their own pilgrimage and pursue a richer understanding of the ideas introduced.

Finally, I’m pleased to report that my friendship with Roberta survived the many, many hours of interviews I subjected her to in buses, boats and blistering hot passagios.”

Jody Hassett Sanchez

Film Director