 |
|||
|
Victoria Barrett
Victoria Barrett has 20 years experience in the entertainment industry as a producer, director, writer and actor, and is President of Shenandoah Films. Ms. Barrett most recent production is Journey of Faith which she produced, co-wrote and hosted. This documentary traces the history of Christianity in the Republic of Turkey. Called Asia Minor in Biblical times, Turkey is second only to Israel in Biblical sites, and is a treasure-trove of early Christian history. Journey of Faith was shot in Super 16mm in 15 locations throughout Turkey. Stunning locales include Mt. Ararat, the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, Ephesus and Istanbul. The Broadcast Premiere of Journey of Faith will be on West Virginia PBS on December 6, 2008, with national distribution expected in 2009. Various screenings are planned through out the United States. Ms. Barrett directed and produced Desperate Hours, which has aired on over 100 PBS stations throughout the United States. This award-winning production, filmed in five countries, tells the little known story of Turkey’s rescue of thousands of Jews facing certain death during the Holocaust. Turkish diplomats put their lives at risk to save Jews being shipped to concentration camps, and as Germany began excluding Jews from university and professional positions, Turkey welcomed them. The film also explores how Archbishop Angelo Roncalli, Apostolic Delegate in Istanbul during the war, who later became Pope John XXIII, worked with future leaders of Israel in rescue. Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council, which issued Nostra Aetate. Desperate Hours reveals these stories of Muslims, Christians and Jews co-operating in saving lives during the Holocaust. Desperate Hours premiered in 2001 at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C and was the Grand Jury Winner and Audience Award Winner at the DC Independent Film Festival. Ms. Barrett was also recognized for Creative Excellence as Director of Desperate Hours at the International Film and Video Festival in CA. B’nai Birth Canada honored her with The Global Excellence in the Arts Award. Desperate Hours has also been broadcast in Europe and the Middle East, including Israel Channel One and CNN-Turk. Projects in development include a full-length documentary on the Pentagon and 9-11, a story that has largely been overshadowed by media attention on other tragedies of that day, and “The Guilt of the Innocent” a documentary on Pope John XXIII and his rescue of Jews during the Holocaust as well as his transformation of Catholic teachings towards Jews. For the U.S. Agency for International Development, Ms. Barrett produced and directed an educational series about the role of religion in developing countries and how it impacts US foreign assistance programs, especially in conflict areas. As an actor, her films include starring roles in Russian Roulette, Three Kinds of Heat, America 2000 and Over the Brooklyn Bridge. She was a guest star on the hit television program Cheers. |