Film Event ‘An Interview with God’ Shows Power of Prayer
When Paul deals with the aftermath of his experiences, which includes a failing marriage and dying faith, he accepts an interview with a mysterious man claiming to be God. Over the course of three life-changing days with this mysterious man, Paul finds himself answering as many questions as he asks. While wrestling with that of which he is sure and unsure, Paul grapples with who God is and with some of life’s biggest questions.
In the engaging, thought-provoking movie with excellent actors, An Interview with God, journalist Paul Asher has covered the war in Afghanistan with some of the best stories of his young career. However, this experience has also cost him much more than he ever could have anticipated.
An Interview with God is a well-performed movie that will be in theaters for three consecutive nights, August 20th-22nd. This movie is best understood as a parable that picturizes important elements of faith, prayer, and a personal relationship with God that we have through Christ (See John 1:18 and Hebrews 1:1-2 ) and whose voice we hear today primarily through His Word, the Bible. (See Romans 10:17 and II Timothy 3:16). Following the movie’s conclusion, viewers also experience a powerful discussion based on the film’s thought-provoking themes.
An Interview with God, a Giving Films movie, features Academy Award® nominee David Strathairn (Temple Grandin, Sensation of Sight and much more) and Brenton Thwaites (Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales).
Co-producer of ‘An Interview with God’, Harrison Powell. Photo Courtesy Fathom Events
Harrison Powell was executive producer on Paul, Apostle of Christ featuring Jim Caviezel, and manages Giving Films, a company that funds life-giving films and donates the profits to charity. He is co-producer of An Interview with God. Sonoma Christian Home had the pleasure of sitting down with Powell. SCH Editor at Large Dr. Diane Howard reports.
SCH: What are the primary themes in this movie?
HP: Primary themes deal with faith, prayer, tough questions, and marriage.
SCH: What do we learn about prayer from this movie?
HP: Prayer is a conversation with God that involves listening.
SCH: What do we learn about God and a conversation with Him?
HP: God’s responses to questions often involve following questions with other questions that require us to think, ponder, and understand.
SCH: What do we learn about listening to God in prayer?
HP: God meets us where we are and leads us to understanding.
SCH: What do we learn about God from this film?
HP: We learn that God has a deep, personal love for us.
SCH: What do we learn about how God’s perspective is different and bigger than our own?
HP: We learn, especially in the third interview, that God has a great heart for us and wants us to have great heart for others because we are part of His solution as His hands and feet.
David Strathairn plays “God” in the movie AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD. Photo Courtesy Fathom Events
SCH: How is this movie especially timely for today?
HP: It sparks a conversation about faith. It encourages asking tough questions. It is a model of good conversation in which we seek to listen and understand.
SCH: How does Giving Films funds charities?
HP: We seek to tell entertaining stories to make as much as possible to give away as much as possible.
SCH: What charity causes are supported by Giving Films?
HP: Our funder grew up in foster care and wants to give to foster care. We also serve orphans and fragile children.
SCH: Who will benefit from An Interview with God?
HP: This movie serves all people of all ages.
Sarah (Yael Grobglas) and Paul Asher (Brenton Thwaites) discuss their future together in AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD. Photo Courtesy Fathom Events
An Interview with God addresses the reality that with faith we believe we are talking to the Maker of the universe: the one who controls all things, the one who provided payment for our sins on the cross, and the one who knows our paths before we do. The basis for our prayers is that we pray because we have faith.
This movie picturizes that prayer is the ultimate sign of faith as we say to God that we need Him, we trust Him, and we know He has the power to act on our prayer requests. Faith is simply believing, with our whole heart, that God can do what we cannot do. Faith is not what we can see or know; it is believing in what we do not see, what we know God can handle and we can’t.
In An Interview with God, Paul has a crisis of faith. He has been shaken by what is going on in his life—returning from Afghanistan, a marriage on the rocks, and friends who are suffering. He understands there are many forces working against us. But the One who is for us, the One who can make a difference, the One who holds it all in His hands, is the same One he can talk to and put his faith in. Paul comes to a place of pure faith when he can see beyond the circumstances and see God as He is. (See James 1:6; Mark 11:24; John 11:40; and Matthew 17:20.)
An Interview with God shows that when we are going through difficult times, it helps to focus on others. While working in Afghanistan, Paul built good relationships with some of the people he met. They reached out to him for help as they struggle with re-entering back into the American culture. Paul does what he could to help, calling people he knows who can offer hope to his new friends.
Journalist Paul Asher (Brenton Thwaites) engages God in a lively debate in the movie AN INTERVIEW WITH GOD. Photo Courtesy Fathom Events
An Interview with God dramatizes that when we are struggling, sometimes it helps to redirect our pain by helping others who might also be struggling. If we are having a hard time seeing God in our pain, perhaps He wants to show Himself to us in someone else’s journey. There is something healing about helping, about giving ourselves for others, or giving our time to sit with and pray for a friend. We might need a break from thinking about our own problems to focus on others instead. (See Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 6:10; John 15:12; and Hebrews 13:16.)
In An Interview with God we see Paul rushing through life, focused on his struggles. It’s not until he begins to look around and take deep breaths that he really sees how God is impacting his life and answering his prayers. It’s important that we pay attention to see what God is doing. This movie suggests that we take time after we pray to be quiet and just listen so that we might understand more what God is doing. If at the end of the day, we stop and think, we might see how and where God showed up. The reality is that God uses His people to accomplish His work. This might be hard for us to see; but through words and actions, He does. We don’t often pay attention enough, we don’t look at each other, we don’t really believe that God is orchestrating answers to our prayers through family, friends, and even strangers.
Henry Blackaby, co-author of Experiencing God, states: “Right now, God is working all around you.” Simple words, but full of truth. We need to begin looking around to see what God is doing; after all, He is working all around us. So often, we are so busy, so focused on ourselves that we simply cannot see Him. Start paying attention … you will be amazed! (See Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Proverbs 3:5-6; and James 1:5.)
‘An Interview with God’ is an incredible Fathom Event showing a few nights only in August! Photo Courtesy Fathom Events
An Interview with God is a refreshing, honest film with top actors that will stir and inspire the faith of viewers. See the valuable discussion guide, trailer, and images on Fathom Events. Follow this movie online, on Facebook, and Twitter.
“Many of us have questions around life and faith, although we might be afraid to admit we have them. We are really excited to see what conversations this film sparks!” said Harrison Powell, VP of Development for Giving Films.
Giving Films is a non-profit company committed to films that entertain and spark conversations around life, faith, and relationships. One hundred percent of Giving Films’ profits from An Interview with God will be donated to charities, particularly those serving foster care. The company’s first film, the 2015 release 90 Minutes in Heaven, starred Kate Bosworth and Hayden Christensen. In 2018 Giving Films partnered with AFFIRM Films on Paul, Apostle of Christ starring Jim Caviezel and James Faulkner. For more information, visit Giving Films.
To learn more about this author, please visit Dr. Diane Howard
Leave a Reply