Nourishing audiences with the greatest story of hope

‘Resurrection’ is a film bringing light during dark times and showcasing high quality Biblical drama, Derry’s Roma Downey tells Chai Brady

Set during the period between Christ’s crucifixion and his resurrection, a new film with Irish links focuses on the trials and uncertainty faced by the apostles in Jerusalem as they debate whether to flee, all the while dodging Roman soldiers.

Mrs Downey says that the Bible is very much factual in that it doesn’t read like a novel when it comes to the emotional experience of individuals at the time”

One of the producers of Resurrection, Roma Downey, who is from Derry but now lives in the US, has a long career in the entertainment industry and has been involved in acting and subsequently producing for decades.

Mrs Downey comes from a theatre background, previously performing with the Abbey Theatre before getting her big break. She joined the Abbey Players and toured the US in a production of The Playboy of the Western World. Her career went from success to success, with one of her major roles being the angel Monica in the hit CBS television series Touched by an Angel for nine seasons over the course of a decade. Her performance earned several Emmy and Golden Globe Best Actress nominations.

Biblical stories

She has produced and co-produced multiple films, many of which have brought Biblical stories to the silver screen with all the modern-day cinematic trimmings.

Regarding Resurrection, which was released on March 27 on Discovery+, a relatively new streaming service, she said: “People are hungry for that message of hope, particularly this year. The resurrection story is the greatest story of hope that there is because it reminds us that hope didn’t die on the cross, that there is the opportunity for renewal and rebirth.

“It’s been told in such an exciting way, it’s not like an old Bible movie of the past. It plays out like a thriller, it’s got the tension of the time in 1st Century Jerusalem, which was a very dangerous place to be. The Roman regime was cruel and very oppressive and Pontius Pilate ruled with an iron fist.

“The first scene in the story is the crucifixion of Jesus. And then it immediately cuts to the aftermath and the story then unfolds through the point of view of the disciples and we really get to see their humanity in the story.”

Mrs Downey says that the Bible is very much factual in that it doesn’t read like a novel when it comes to the emotional experience of individuals at the time. Film, she explains, is a powerful way of bridging that gap and bringing the Gospels alive.

“We really get to see that they [the disciples] are afraid and that they’re heartbroken that Jesus has died and they’re confused because he was their leader and they don’t know what to do next. I think in many ways we the audience can identify with them more. In the 21st Century they are now saints and we regard them as perfect people but the truth is they were just people like you and me, and when Jesus was killed I’m sure they thought they were next.”

Films about faith and religion are well-meaning but unless they are excellent people won’t be interested as audiences are far more sophisticated nowadays, says Mrs Downey. “Even our kids are very sophisticated and so we worked diligently to make sure that this film was as good as any other film coming out of Hollywood,” she says.

“I think if less people are attending Church and if people are moving away from the Church these stories are in danger of getting lost and I think film is a way that you can reach people. Obviously, TV is a way you can reach people in their own homes. Then if you were to go back and pick up your Bible to read scripture or if you are attending church and you hear the readings, I think it gives it a new and different kind of aliveness.

At LightWorkers which is my company, is something that I’ve been committed to do, to tell uplifting stories, stories of encouragement, stories of hope”

“It brings the story to life. The Bible is written in such a way that it’s factual. It doesn’t have the opportunity to tell you what people are feeling, the nuance of emotion or to make those emotional connections with you, we’re able to do that as filmmakers, we’re able to make those emotional connections and to fill in the gaps.”

An example of this in the film is when British actor Adam Levy, who plays Peter, struggles with the fact he denied knowing Jesus three times. This of course has also been the subject of major works of art, probably most popularly Caravaggio’s Denial of Saint Peter.

“You know that he felt ashamed, that he felt guilty,” says Mrs Downey. “So that’s what we’re able to do in film, we’re able to breathe all those emotions into it and make it a living experience for people to enjoy.

“The feedback so far is that people have found that very exciting. I remember growing up in Derry and gathering with my family around the TV to watch the Easter movies of that time which would have been things like Jesus of Nazareth, or The Greatest Story Ever Told and quite frankly, you know, the movies were great, but they’ve aged out and so for a new generation we need to refreshen these stories and, at LightWorkers which is my company, is something that I’ve been committed to do, to tell uplifting stories, stories of encouragement, stories of hope.”

Roma launched LightWorkers Media (LightWorkers) in 2011 along with her husband Mark Burnett. LightWorkers has produced the series A.D.: The Bible Continues, The Women of the Bible, The Dovekeepers, Answered Prayers and feature films Little Boy, Woodlawn, the re-make of Ben-Hur, On A Wing and A Prayer, Messiah and Country Ever After.

Derry girl

Growing up in Ireland during the Troubles has helped shape the person Mrs Downey has become, she explains, saying it’s “amazing” that as a young person who didn’t know anything else you can just get on with your life.

“I think the Irish in general are very much like we have to just get up and get on with it so childhood was a little bit like that. Obviously it was a dangerous time and, in the neighbourhood, there was a lot of rioting and shooting and CS gas and all the things that you might imagine,” she says.

“But there was also great humour and community spirit. I think it was the strength of that community spirit that allowed us as the children of the Troubles to feel safe even though the streets were unsafe.

Her faith has played an important part of her life, particularly aged 10 when her mother – who she describes as vibrant, joyful and that laughter came easy to her – died of a heart attack”

“Neighbours really were neighbours back then, people looked out for each other and we belonged to each other. I would think certainly I have within me a natural desire to bring people together and I think that might have been shaped by this sort of inherent divisionism that was so apparent in our lives, and my longing for us to remember all the things that we have in common with each other instead of the constant focus and battle about our differences. I would think that experience of growing up there yielded a bit of a peacemaker in me.”

Her faith has played an important part of her life, particularly aged 10 when her mother – who she describes as vibrant, joyful and that laughter came easy to her – died of a heart attack.

Resurrection

“It was like the lights had been turned out, and honestly I think if it hadn’t been for my faith and the promise of the resurrection, the hope of heaven, I don’t know that I would have been able to deal with that at that young age, so I’m sure that profound loss also shaped the woman I’ve become, the choices I’ve made,” she says.

Although Mrs Downey lives in California, Derry and the Bogside where she grew up is still close to her heart and she tries to visit every year to see her family and friends, many of whom still live in the Derry and Donegal area. “It’s an important part of me, it’s my heritage, it’s who I am. You can take the girl our of Derry but you can’t take Derry out of the girl. I am the original Derry girl,” she laughs.

The Hollywood trade publication Variety dubbed Mrs Downey a “Trailblazer” and listed her in Variety’s ‘100 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood’. Asked whether she has experienced challenges as a woman, particularly a woman of faith, in the entertainment industry, Mrs Downey says she has always felt a boldness and stood up for what she believes in.

“I’m a naturally compassionate person which I believe is connected to losing my mother. I think when you’ve suffered particularly at a young age, you develop skills, skills like compassion and empathy, so those are very much what makes up my own character. I think I’m a decent person, and you know, I’ve always treated people like I would want to be treated and for that reason I think ultimately people see you’re a good person and maybe they don’t hold it against me,” she says.

Hollywood

“I have clearly been outspoken, I’m very noisy about it and my husband and I always joke that we’re the noisiest Christians in Hollywood.”

Roma and her husband Mark produced ‘The Bible’ series on the History Channel which was viewed by more than 100 million people in the US alone. They also produced the feature film Son of God which became one of the most successful faith movie box office openings.

Five years ago, Mrs Downey received the Irish Diaspora Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Screen from the IFTA as well as her star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Speaking about her faith Mrs Downey says it creates a moral compass with which people can lives their lives, which is important in modern times in a world where morality is “breaking down”.

However, during the pandemic Mrs Downey says she has been impressed by the gestures made and community spirit expressed”

“There is so much violence, so much gun violence over here in the States,” she says. “It’s just getting worse and worse, every day you turn on the news and somebody else has gone into a building or a shop and just killed innocent people. Just the randomness of it is terrifying. You think, what is it? What has broken down in our society that people are behaving in this monstrous way? I don’t know what the answer is, obviously there has to be better gun laws, but even if they brought a law in tomorrow it’s not going to take all the guns away that are already out there.”

However, during the pandemic Mrs Downey says she has been impressed by the gestures made and community spirit expressed.

“One of the things that touched me, you know particularly back in the beginning was when people were coming out and everybody was clapping. Out here everybody came out onto their front doorsteps or hung out the windows of their apartment and were clapping for the front line workers. Stuff like that was so moving to me, anything that brings people together. We saw the kindness of people. People looking out for older people in their neighbourhoods, people dropping food off at the front door of some grandmother that lived by herself,” she says.
“When we saw people digging deep, I think the best of people was revealed. I think also that everybody’s had to re-examine their lives, like what’s important? If you thought you were going to die tomorrow, what are you doing? What’s your priorities? I think that maybe there would be some re-examination and we can step out remembering to be kind to each other.”

While Mrs Downey has moved from in front of the camera to behind it, there is no doubt she is continuing to make waves in cinema, bringing to life the Gospel on the silver screen and endeavouring to spread hope in difficult times.