Christian News: Persecution

Oscar winner Martin Scorsese is preparing to shoot a film about Japanese persecution of Christians in the 17th Century.  Filming begins this year in New Zealand, with the movie to hit theaters worldwide in 2010. 

The film will be an adaptation of the novel, Chinmoku (Silence), which tells the story of Portugese Jesuit Priests that encounter persecution and violence as they search for a fellow priest and spread the Gospel.

Scorsese is known for such films as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Last Temptation of Christ.  Scorsese is reportedly seeking Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis and Benicio Del Toro to star in the film.

Art director Dante Feretti and Producer E. Bennet Walsh visited the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture last week to study a "fumie" -- a plaque (shown left)  depicting Jesus Christ that was used to identify Christians by demanding that they step on the plaque.  Those who refused were killed, some by crucifixion.

As many as 30,000 Japanese Christians are believed to have been persecuted for their faith in the 17th century.  Christianity was banned in Japan for centuries thereafter. 

Today, about two million Japanese are Christians, including Prime Minister Taro Aso.  Aso is Japan's second Christian postwar prime minister.

Scorsese's film will be the second film adaptation of Chinmoku.  Japanese Director Masahiro Shinoda released the first, entitled Chinmoku, in 1971. 

Sources:

Scorsese plans film on Japanese Christians

Scorsese seeks Day-Lewis, Del Toro For Silence 

Silence (Novel)

Taro Aso

______________________________________________________________________________

The International Faith Telegraph
http://www.faithtelegraph.com
The latest and most unique Christian news stories from around the world. Bizarre, groundbreaking, worldchanging. Exclusive stories from a wide variety of sources. Missions news directly from missionaries and numerous denominations and organizations.