Theirs Is the Kingdom

Streaming video - 2021

From the Sistine Chapel to da Vinci’s The Last Supper, fresco paintings are one of the oldest and most durable forms of artwork known to man. As natural pigment is blended with wet plaster, the painting literally turns to stone and the stories told in fresco paintings are preserved for centuries. But what do those preserved stories say about a society’s beliefs and priorities? At the intersection of poverty and portraiture, Theirs is the Kingdom follows the rare creation of a contemporary fresco mural inside the sanctuary of a small church in the North Carolina mountains. This is a painting not of the rich and powerful, but of people battling homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. From first sketch to final unveiling, the viewer... witnesses the difficulties of this ancient artistic technique while also meeting an ensemble cast of complex characters. The beauty of art is that it’s visual, accessible, and captivating. Blending that beauty with the stories of those whom society has cast aside creates a powerful film that hopefully urges viewers to examine their own judgements and beliefs. more