Overview
The Calling is a four-hour documentary series that follows seven young, vibrant, thoughtful and vastly different Americans as they embark on the most extraordinary journey of their lives. Representing Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant faiths, the series follows them, through years of challenges, doubts, triumphs and surprises, and into their early practice as ordained professionals. Produced by a team of multi-faith filmmakers and led by Series Director/Executive Producer Danny Alpert, this intimate look behind cloistered seminary walls and into the hearts of future religious leaders provides a rich, nuanced portrayal of faith never before seen on national television.
While the United States is one of the most religiously observant and spiritually diverse countries in the world, faith often clashes with contemporary society. The Calling reveals a new paradigm: passionate spiritual leaders, who commit to a life of religion and service without compromising their strong identification with modern culture.
The series reached over 3 million viewers, on a nationally televised Independent Lens/PBS Special, in 2010.
Impact
The passionate voices of the characters resonated strongly with all viewers, young and old, secular and religious. With a subject matter that reaches broadly and deeply into contemporary American life, The Calling’s companion digital and community engagement campaign, What’s Your Calling?, explored the notion of “calling” from both religious and secular perspectives.
Through a series of over 100 interviews, videos, and articles, What’s Your Calling? pushed the notion of “calling” to look into all the stuff that makes us human: our values, our passions, our doubts and hopes. Profiling individuals from diverse backgrounds – professional snowboarders, jazz musicians, tug boat captains, academics, improvisers, Muay Thai fighters, religious leaders, social workers, environmental activists, toy inventors – What’s Your Calling? shared what people have been called to do with their lives and how they hope to change the world.
In an interview with Huffington Post, Danny Alpert said his hope for the film was that viewers “will be thinking about something that the characters did to make the world a better place, and that they will look at these people’s callings and think about what their own calling may be, what it is that they feel passionate about.” Almost all of those who watched the film reported that the show made them more tolerant and understanding of other religious faiths. The web campaign and web series had continued to prove this value in instilling an attitude of understanding between different faith groups.
- 4.5 MILLION broadcast viewers
- 115 nonprofit and community partners
- 100 video profiles, WYC’s (whatsyourcalling.org)
- Over 500,00 YouTube viewers
- The website had over 100,000 hits over the first six months of creation from over 136 different countries and every US state.
Acknowledgements
The Calling was directed by Yoni Brook, Alicia Dwyer, Muse Syeed, and Maggie Bowman. Danny Alpert served as Executive Producer and Series Director. The series was edited and Co-Produced by Susanne Suffredin and Co-Produced by Beth Sternheimer. Funding for the film and impact campaign was made by:
- The Henry Luce Foundation
- The Hartley Film Foundation
- Pacific Islanders in Communications
- The Irving Harris Foundation
- Samuel Zell Foundation
- National Black Programming Consortium
- The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
- The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
- Zarrow Family Foundation
More Projects From Kindling Group:
No Small Matter shares stunning truths about the human capacity for early learning and the potential for quality early care and education to shape America’s social and economic future.
A personal documentary charting the intersection of abuse and addiction as documented by Sydney and Julia, two women in a Chicago recovery home.
Veterans Coming Home bridges America’s military-civilian divide by telling stories, challenging stereotypes and exploring what Veteran’s need to truly come home.
When the Vatican reprimands U.S. nuns, citing their “radical feminism,” three fearless nuns risk their place in the Church to follow another higher calling: social justice.
Pulling the Thread unravels America’s most popular conspiracy theories and reveals the emotional, cognitive and social forces that lead rational people to believe irrational things.
Illinois consumers getting smart about energy usage & the green economy.
Produced in a unique collaboration between Harvard Law students and filmmakers, Legal Lens explores how the law shapes — and is shaped by — the lives of everyday Americans.
Using Chicago as a microcosm, The School Project explores the interrelated issues of inequity of resources, school privatization, and race in public education in America.
The Last Strike takes viewers inside the infamous PATCO strike of 1981, to discover how these events paved the way for modern Americas’ unprecedented inequality and insecurity.
@home follows formerly-homeless activist Mark Horvath on a road trip across the country, as he makes homelessness in America visible.
The Future of Normal combines observational storytelling, insights of leading experts, compelling motion graphics and animation to explore the complex and nuanced terrain around neurodiversity.
The 39TH follows Guzzardi as he fights to win over a changing neighborhood, block by block – and comes to terms with how far Chicago’s political machine will go to hang on to power.
Do No Harm tells the story of two reluctant whistleblowers in a small Georgia town, who endure relentless attacks as they draw attention to hospital corruption and the plight of the uninsured.
A Doula Story documents one woman’s fierce commitment to empower pregnant teenagers with the skills and knowledge they need to become confident nurturing mothers.
Daniel Alpert
Laura Fallsgraff
Mara Sheban
Ingrid Roettgen
Adam Joel
Adam Wisneski
Ines Sommer
