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“Theirs Is the Kingdom” Limited Release Virtual Event Dec. 7-14

Fresco artist Christopher Holt at Haywood Street

Award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Christopher Zaluski, premieres his feature-length documentary, Theirs Is the Kingdom, a film examining the intersection of poverty and portraiture, for one week only in a virtual event December 7 to 14.

The film follows the rare creation of a contemporary fresco inside the sanctuary of Haywood Street Congregation in downtown Asheville. The Haywood Street Fresco is not a painting of the rich and powerful, but of people battling homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. From first sketch to the final unveiling, the viewer witnesses the difficulties of this ancient artistic technique while also meeting an ensemble cast of rich, complex characters. A virtual Q&A with the filmmaker, principal fresco artist Christopher Holt, Haywood Street founding pastor Rev. Brian Combs, and select fresco models will be held December 14, at 7 p.m.

“When I started filming this project in February of 2018, I didn’t realize how much it would become a central part of my life over the next two and a half years,” says Zaluski, an assistant teaching professor in the Wake Forest University Department of Film Program. “In many ways, I think that’s indicative to the experience many have when they first come into contact with Haywood Street. I’ve learned so much from listening to folks like Brian, Jeanette, Dave, Blue, and others that it’s changed my mindset and approach to filmmaking, community, and, in many ways, religion. I hope viewers can appreciate the very human stories in this film and take a moment to recognize those around them who are struggling in ways large and small. Ultimately, this film is about empathy, which seems to be lacking in so much of our daily interactions.”

For tickets and more information, visit https://watch.showandtell.film/watch/kingdom-haywood. For more information on Haywood Street Congregation, visit HaywoodStreet.org.

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