By Andrés Buenahora
Picturehouse has announced the acquisition of all distribution rights for Nicholas Ma’s documentary “Leap of Faith.”
Picturehouse has set a theatrical roll out nationwide beginning Oct. 4, partnering with organizations around the country for conversations surrounding the film. The film will feature in-theater appearances from Nicholas’ father, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, in St. Louis, Washington, D.C. and Boston.
“In 2016, 1 in 6 people stopped talking to a family member. It’s even worse now. How do you continue to love each other while you disagree? Over the course of a year, 12 diverse Christian leaders struggle to find hope and fellowship at a series of boundary-breaking retreats in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Brought together by Michael Gulker of The Colossian Forum, five women and seven men explore some of today’s most contentious issues. The divisions between them become apparent and test both their common belief in the universal importance of love and kindness and the bonds they build over the course of a year,” reads the film’s logline.
“‘Leap of Faith’ moved me to take my own leap,” Yo-Yo Ma said. “To dive into the difficult conversations that will begin to heal the fractures in our communities, to ask how can I better practice that most fundamental call: love thy neighbor.”Nicholas Ma explained, “My father taught me that music and art has the ability to transcend our very human divisions. It’s with that in mind that I set out on the journey to make this film. After making this film, I’d add faith to that list, faith pursued sincerely and lovingly.”
The film is produced by Ma and his producing partner Morgan Neville, director of “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Steve (Martin!): A Documentary in Two Pieces.” Nicholas Ma and Neville previously worked together on the 2018 documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”
“’Leap of Faith’ will surprise audiences with its timeliness and relevance,” said Bob Berney, CEO of Picturehouse. “Experiencing this film in a theater with others will open doors to new conversations that hopefully will continue long after the end credits roll.”
Director Nicholas Ma said, “Filming this story, it became clear the path was not to change each other’s positions, but to see each other more honestly and more lovingly, and in doing so to learn to belong to each other. I wasn’t sure that was achievable at the beginning, and I didn’t expect the story to take the turns it took. But somehow, over time, I saw that space that exists between all of us transformed from one of division to one of possibility.”
Ma’s directorial debut, the narrative feature “Mabel,” premiered to positive reviews earlier this year at the San Francisco Film Festival.