Jarreth Merz Movies
- 2010
In late 2008, the people of the African nation of Ghana prepared to go to the polls and choose their next president, with Nana Akufo-Addo of the right-leaning NNP party and Atta Mills of the left wing NDC party the most prominent players in the field of candidates. While the two men represented different parties, their policies and positions were not particularly different, and as the campaign wore on, the two found themselves pushing their personalities and campaign promises to potential voters in the absence of defining issues that set them apart. Documentary filmmakers Jarreth Merz and Kevin Merz followed Akufo-Addo and Mills as they criss-crossed Ghana, making speeches and giving interviews, as they sought to win the hearts and minds of the electorate in the documentary An African Election. The film offers a look into this election and the media coverage of the campaign, as well as the sometimes fragile state of democracy in Africa, where official corruption, difficulties in voting and troubles in vote counting are commonplace. An African Election was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Mel Gibson's well-publicized production The Passion of the Christ concerns the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The dialogue is spoken in the ancient Aramaic language, along with Latin and Hebrew. In the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, Jesus (James Caviezel) is betrayed by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello). Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy and brought before Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov), the Roman governor of Judea, for sentencing. The roaring crowd demand his death, so Pilate orders his crucifixion. Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha, the hill outside Jerusalem, where he is nailed to the cross. Romanian theatrical actress Maia Morgenstern plays Mary, Mother of God, and Italian superstar Monica Bellucci plays Mary Magdalene. Amid much controversy involving Gibson and various religious organizations, The Passion of the Christ received an international theatrical release in February of 2004. In March 2005, Gibson released an unrated version of the film, dubbed The Passion Recut, that eliminated five to six minutes of the more graphic scenes of flogging and crucifixion. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, (more)
- 2003
Carter (Noah Wyle) takes temporary leave of both the ER and his girlfriend, Abby (Maura Tierney), and flies to the Congo, there to join a Doctors Without Borders mission wherein Kovac (Goran Visnjic) is treating patients in a backward nation undergoing a bloody revolution. It is quite a culture shock for Carter, who struggles to cope with deplorable working conditions, virtually no medical supplies, and the constant threat of a bullet in the head from either the government or rebel troops. The climax finds the doctors trying to save a child who has been wounded during a brief but violent skirmish. Filmed on location in Hawaii, this was the final episode of ER's ninth season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
