Lights and Shadows of Faith: Christians in the World, arrives at the Goya

The CEU, through its Institute of Historical Studies, played a crucial role in the production of “Christians,” a powerful documentary that sheds light on the persecution faced by Christians in different parts of the world. This collaboration also included the participation of the Ignacio Larramendi Foundation.

The film, directed by Fernando de Haro and scripted with Marco Gandolfo, was created over a decade, during which the team immersed itself in the complexity of the situation in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, China, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Palestine and Israel. The journeys to collect testimonies were challenging; In some cases, they faced surveillance by secret services and operated in conflict and war zones.

The film crew even had encounters with ISIS, faced arrests, and had to abruptly leave locations for safety reasons. The initial objective of Fernando de Haro, journalist and co-director of La Tarde de Cope, was to denounce the lack of religious freedom, a claim that few expressed. As
As he advanced in his journey, he discovered that he was telling not only a story of pain, but also a story full of light, in which he was personally involved.

The documentary addresses the effects of the oppression of the caste system in India, jihadism in the Middle East, political and digital authoritarianism in China, false accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan and corruption and Islamic radicalism in Africa. Fernando de Haro, with a degree in Law and Journalism, as well as a doctor in Information Sciences, has dedicated six books to current national, international and cultural issues.

“Cristianos” has received 6 nominations for the 2024 Goya Awards, highlighting the recognition of the work dedicated to exposing difficult but necessary realities for global awareness about religious freedom.