• Movie Preview •

Hugh Dancy, John Hurt, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Nicola Walker. Written by David Wolstencroft. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Beyond the Gates concerns a young man who has come to teach at a Catholic secondary school during the Rwandan genocide. A non-religious man, he is nonetheless an admirer of the priest who heads the school. As danger nears, hundreds of Rwandans take refuge behind the gates of the school, while the UN does nothing to help them. Another tribe waits outside to slaughter these people. They know the UN soldiers guarding the compound will leave. They wait in order to kill their fellow Rwandans.

It is a story about love, the sacrifices we make for others, and the choices we make when our faith is tested. The film will begin opening in select theaters March 9. The story was written by producer and former BBC reporter David Belton, and is based on a Catholic priest he met, and whom he credits for saving his life and many others, during his time as a reporter in Rwanda. Additional information can be found at: http://www.alrcnewskitchen.com/beyondthegates.

PREVIEW REVIEW: A powerful, deeply moving film, maybe the most important one you’ll see this year. Director Michael Caton-Jones (City By the Sea) skillfully involves the viewer, as we grow to know and care for the characters, and the script by first-time screenwriter David Wolstencroft addresses faith and presents a man of God as truly that, a man who reverences God and embraces Christ’s command to love others.

Rated R for some language and for violent imagery, but the content is not exploitive. Too often we see films featuring the foibles and evils of men who proclaim to be Christians while living an immoral life. Here, in the face of death, the priest shows courage, while expressing compassion and love for his assailant. It is a very effecting moment. Indeed, it reminds us to draw closer to Christ in order to find that love for our fellow man.

Distributor: IFC Films