'The Last Sermon': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about docu investigating terrorism
In April 2003, two British Muslim men perpetrated a suicide attack at Mike's Place, a bar in Tel Aviv, Israel. After the attack, the Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed joint responsibility for the attack. In addition, Hamas spokesman identified the perpetrators as Asif Muhammad Hanif, 22, from London, and Omar Khan Sharif, 27, from Derby.
The force of the blast killed three people and injured over 50. One of the wounded was security guard Avi Tabib, who managed to block the suicide bomber, preventing him from entering the bar and causing further fatalities.
Jack Baxter and Joshua Faudem survived the attack and decided to make a documentary to understand religious terrorism, especially in the backdrop of Europe. 'The Last Sermon' is that documentary and will be available digitally in December. 'The Last Sermon' had its world premiere at the 2020 International Human Rights Film Festival in Tunis, where it won the Prix de l’Espoir. In the United States, the film premiered at the 10th Queens World Film Festival, where it won Best Documentary Feature and the Truth Seeker Award. Read on to know more about 'The Last Sermon'.
Release date
'The Last Sermon' is set to premiere on digital platforms on Tuesday, December 15.
Plot
'The Last Sermon' is a journey to uncover the truth. The film begins with a flashback to the horrific 2003 terrorist attack on a Tel Aviv blues bar called Mike’s Place. 'The Last Sermon' then takes us straight into today’s headlines when filmmakers Baxter and Faudem – united for life by the tragedy of that terrible night – seek answers about the suicide bombers who almost murdered them. In doing so, the filmmakers hope to bridge the looming chasm between traditional and radicalized Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide and to encourage peaceful co-existence among all peoples.
In the aftermath of the infamous April 2003 suicide bombing at Mike’s Place that killed three and injured dozens, including Baxter, the filmmakers made the award-winning documentary 'Blues By the Beach' (2004). But they didn’t get to tell the entire story at that time. The documentary started in Jerusalem. Baxter and Faudem and their film crew traveled to Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, France, then on to England. At Refugee Camps and Mosques they interviewed, interacted and challenged Muslims and non-Muslims with the last words of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): "There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, or a non-Arab over an Arab, or a White over a Black, or a Black over a White, except by righteousness and piety.”
'The Last Sermon' is more than a whodunit or starry-eyed pursuit of an unsustainable peace plan. It’s about our common humanity and the quixotic pursuit of tolerance.
Director
Jack Baxter is a writer, director, producer, and freelance journalist from New York City. He produced the controversial and critically acclaimed 1995 documentary 'Brother Minister: The Assassination of Malcolm X'. Mr Baxter and his wife, Executive Producer Fran Strauss-Baxter, are the producers of the award-winning documentary, 'Blues by The Beach' (2004). He is also the co-author of the graphic novel, 'Mike’s Place: A True Story of Love, Blues, and Terror in Tel Aviv' (2015) published by Macmillan.
Trailer
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