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Health & Fitness

Jerusalem - A Must See Movie for Every Age and Every Faith

I have been handling the PR and marketing for the IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center for over a decade. It is an honor and privilege to work for this organization because of the quality of the films they showcase year after year.

While many people think of IMAX theatres as only being available in museums we are fortunate to have our very own IMAX right here in Rockland County at the Palisades Mall. The projection system for our IMAX uses large 15/70 film which enables amazingly clear images to be projected onto the six story high screen. It also means that  for a movie like Avatar for example, that the film arrives in nearly 100 boxes that have to be spliced together in order to be shown on the huge projector that sits on the third floor of the theatre. Avatar, a 3D film, was nearly 23 miles long and would have stretched from the Palisades Mall to the George Washington Bridge!!! It also means that movies which are shot with IMAX cameras (Dark Knight and Mission Impossible to name a few) will fill the entire six story tall screen making for a movie experience unlike any other.


The reason I am writing about this today is that the IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center is currently showing a majestic National Geographic supported film titled "Jerusalem." The film highlights the birthplace of the three major religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and we are the ONLY IMAX Theatre to have it in the tri-state area, in fact we are one of only a handful of theatres nationwide to show the film. That means you have an opportunity to see this film on one of the biggest screens in the country using the incredible film-based technology of a traditional IMAX theatre. That also means that you will see Jerusalem in a spectacular and beautiful way and, and even if you have been there, I guarantee you have not seen it like this.

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When the film was shown to a handful of people representing the various religions, the response was overwhelmingly positive from those in attendance with many saying that the movie was thought-provoking and would “inspire a dialogue among the three major religions.” Azeem Farooki of the Islamic Center of Rockland based in Valley Cottage said that this was the perfect time for this movie to be seen and that he felt it showed all three religions in a positive light and would inspire people to talk and learn from each other. He planned on sharing the information with members of the Center.

 

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Nearly everyone in the audience indicated that they had traveled to Jerusalem at some point and yet the film depicted sites they hadn’t seen before. Timna Mekaiten, the new Shlicha (Ambassador) for the Jewish Federation of Rockland has lived in Israel her entire life and only moved to Rockland last month. She viewed the film and was amazed to see several sites that she was unable to visit as a resident of Jerusalem. She also believes the film will open a dialogue among the faiths because of the way it is told – through the eyes of the three young women each of a different religion.

 

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes in the new series, Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness and appearing in the new Hobbit movies), JERUSALEM gives audiences a rare tour of the ancient, storied city, as well as exclusive access to iconic holy sites and little-known parts of the region—including the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the mountain fortress of Masada.  Filmmakers were granted special permits to the region’s strict no-fly zone, enabling them to capture the first-ever large format aerial images of the Old City and throughout the Holy Land.

 

Audiences will meet three teenaged girls who call Jerusalem home: Farah Amouri, Revital Zechariah, and Nadia Tadros. Each girl is from one of the three major world religions that share the Old City, yet in separate quarters.  Each one gives audiences a tour of the Holy City she loves and the sites most meaningful from her perspective--from the Damascus Gate and the Dome of the Rock, to the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

 

The other impressive part about this film is how it manages to teach in a special and unique way and ask us all a profound and deep question about the three major religions. I won't spoil it for you. You need to see it. Regardless of your religious beliefs, this film will impress you and provide you with an understanding of the holiest place on earth.

 

I encourage you to take your entire family to see it. It is 45 minutes long and will make for interesting dinner conversation afterwards. So make it a family night at the Palisades! The movie will be shown at the IMAX Palisades Theatre through mid November (after which time they will show the next film in the Hunger Games series Catching Fire).

 

You can also bring a group from your Synagogue, Church, Mosque or school. For more information call 845-353-5555, extension 200.

 

For last minute news and information, people are encouraged to sign up to follow IMAX on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/imaxpalisades and on Facebook. IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center is located on the top floor in the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack near Target. For information on tickets and showtimes, visit www.imax.com/palisades.   

 

 

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