Paul in Athens

University of Michigan professor Yaron Eliav and his production team announce the world premiere of the much-anticipated “Paul in Athens” movie on October 30, 2018. The movie reconstructs St. Paul’s visit to the city of Athens in the first century CE – one of the most famous moments in Biblical history – and examines the world changing dynamics that it instigated. This short film (only 17 minutes long) is the first ever documentary specifically created for the classroom. Unlike many documentaries that are made for the general public, and then used also in classrooms, this film was developed from the start with students as its intended audience, and designed as a teaching tool within the learning environment of the college (and high school) classroom. Says Eliav, who developed and produced the film, “we wanted to think of new ways to engage students in scholarly ideas and debates beyond the traditional tools of reading academic articles and listening to lectures.” “The movie,” he adds, “functions like a modern-day, 21st century scholarly article. It shares many of its features and objectives, but adopts the visual and thematic language of film.”

“Paul in Athens” is meant to open a small, yet illuminating, window into the magical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean, with its striking cities and vibrant mixture of peoples, ideas, and cultures. The film focuses on one moment in the life of one famous individual – Saint Paul and his visit to the city of Athens – but it weaves together many threads related to the Graeco-Roman world. Geography and travel, urban life and architecture, religion, sculpture, and art all make their appearance, even if only briefly, with the hope that teachers and students can use these details as a springboard for further research, exploration, and learning.

“Paul in Athens” is a product of the Ancient World Project and is funded by the Office of the Provost at the University of Michigan through the Transforming Learning for the Third Century (TLTC) grant – the University largest grant ever given in the humanities. Other than Eliav, the production team included director Robert DeMilner and a 14-member crew, including cameramen, producers, designers, assistants, and a group of local Greek actors. The movie comes with an assortment of exercises, maps, and reading material which will make it a valuable addition to any class related to the ancient Mediterranean world, its geography, religions, and cultures, and is sure to provide a revolutionary learning experience for any individual or community interested in these topics.

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[danielgarciaperez]

I am completely amazed by the production led by Professor Eliav. I was watching the documentary with one of my friends and we both agreed that National Geographic or BBC History would struggle to match this level of quality! The film's immersive experience transported us directly to ancient Athens, including the Acropolis, by listening to Eliav walking through this millenary city, together with the acting, costumes, cinematographic elements and with the voice overs in such a historical tone… everything looked so professional! This is why the UofM is so unique, time and money invested 100% paid off, it is great to be a michigan wolverine! Furthermore, I think that this video is particularly appealing to me as a christian. I found the exploration of Athenian idol worship particularly enlightening, offering a deeper understanding of its influence on Western civilization, which to me as a European means also learning about my roots. It was fascinating!

[samblumberg]

I appreciate Yaron Eliav's approach to explaining St. Paul's feelings and thoughts during a time of change in his thinking and preaching. Through a deep dive into ancient Athens, observing statues as more than just their age and appearance, Eliav puts Paul's internal conflict at the forefront, helping to explain what people from that time were idolizing and exploring.

[LeilaYoung-mn]

Even though this video was only 16 minutes, I felt captivated the entire time by the amount of information that was outpoured throughout the entire story. I’m fairly unfamiliar with both Paul and his journey, yet by the end of this documentary I felt that I knew Paul and understood his significance to the world. Watching Paul embark on his path through several locations in Athens, including the Acropolis, was a truly enriching experience that will stick with me for a long while.

[emmarooney]

I loved how, instead of just watching Paul walk through Athens and have a voice over explaining, we got to see Eliav explain to us the context and the meaning behind Paul being there. It made me feel a part of the journey

[sophiekrantz]

I was extremely impressed to hear about how much the University of Michigan invested in this movie, and it was really interesting to see how much that money paid off, as well as see everything we had viewed in the behind-the-scenes pay off in the full movie. It's clear how much work and effort went into this from Eliav, but also from every actor and person who was a part of this production. Lastly, I am amazed at how much they fit into a 16-minute movie. I was expecting the movie about such a prominent figure to be at least an hour, but the fact that it's shorter made everything taught so much more impactful.

[BrentMarvin]

I really enjoyed this film! Much like the course you teach the focus on what REALLY happened rather than propagating some story one way or another is always refreshing. All of the different camera angles and views of important monuments/statues that had a large impact on Paul were powerful as it helped us get some sort of an idea as to what he could've been so greatly effected by. My favorite shot was around 14:14, the scenery was beautiful. Overall a great film in terms of educational and production value!

[elisecernosia]

I am absolutely in awe of this production. Professor Eliav’s narration wasn’t just informative; it was immersive, weaving historical depth with a cinematic elegance that would give National Geographic a run for its money. What really struck me was how the film didn’t just present history, it felt history. I could practically hear the echoes of footsteps on the Acropolis and feel the weight of history pressing in from every angle. Eliav didn’t settle for listing facts about Athens. He captured its energy, its sacred atmosphere, and the wickedness of what Paul was up against. The discussion of idol worship and the role of statues was particularly fascinating, as it offered a window into the religious and cultural tensions of the time. This move was a masterclass in storytelling. layered, thoughtful, and beautifully executed.

[BenjaminClark-ie]

Paul in Athens does a great job of blending the historical overview with immersive storytelling, making the ancient world feel tangible and alive. I particularly appreciated how the film didn’t just present Paul’s journey in isolation but put it into perspective within the broader landscape of Athens. The contrast between Paul’s monotheistic beliefs and the city’s deeply held polytheistic traditions was striking, helping me better grasp the difficulty of his mission and the resistance he likely faced. Professor Eliav's approach which combined on-site narration and visual storytelling was incredibly effective, and I found myself engaged from start to finish.

[Pepperfarmer]

It's so great to see a visual representation of such an interesting part of history! Having this movie at my disposal as a student significantly helps me mentally paint this image in my own head. Also, it helps me understand where one of the most popular religions across the globe originated from. I'm impressed with the lengths that Eliav and his team will go to educate his students, coworkers, and the remainder of the world on topics that hold historical significance.

[RoryMarlin]

I really appreciate how this documentary focuses on specific places that Paul had walked and what that tone set to him specifically versus just their overall significance to history. For example, when Eliav is describing the Acropolis, he doesn't just explain the importance of it being a temple to Athena or how it was constructed, he goes in depth to explain how the temple had an "aura of sacredness and worship", to bring life and meaning to the structure. This allows us to feel what Paul would have felt to better understand the feeling of the Acropolis. It makes the documentary much more engaging and I felt left with a better sense of understanding.

[CharlieKastner]

I love the costumes and the production value in terms of outfits and historical clothing. I not only like Eliav's outfits and the hat he wears, but I love the way that Eliav and his crew put together a Paul that is accurate in its entirety, even clothing.

[luther]

I really loved the use of music throughout this documentary, it was incredibly intense and helped me keep close attention to what I was watching. For example, at 9:40 when Eliav was explaining Pauls use of the word Idolatry, and how its development shapes the understanding of Paul and how he refers to Roman sculpture, the music gets louder, and faster, and the camera begins to zoom in on Eliavs face. These effects make me understand as a student and a scholar that Pauls lienancy towards sculpture is a great revelation and development in our history, not just some random fun fact with little significance. Through music and dramatic cinematography, the story of Paul comes to life!

[ElianaJacobs-wthw]

The imagery in this video is fantastic. It was so cool to see professor Eliav in the physical locations he is describing and teaching about. He definitely knows how to keep the audience engaged with exciting background music and interesting images and scenery. It was no challenge to try imagining what was really going on at the time of Paul thanks to the acting and settings in this movie.

[Troywyd]

I cannot begin to express how deeply this movie has impacted me and the rest of my household. In fact, it has inspired my roommate, former student Jonathan Bryant, to drop the class and pursue a degree in cinematography in order to exercise his newfound passion to the fullest extent. Truly incredible.

Aside from this, and the beautiful compositions of each and every shot, the movie is quite informative, providing multiple perspectives on the material, being sure to paint a vivid and near complete picture of the subject matter. My attention was drawn in particular to the details put into the movie’s audio work. From the soundtrack to the narration, the effort put into enriching the aural experience adds what I presume to be an under appreciated, yet integral layer of production value.
Truly incredible, yet again.

[dahliarappaport]

I learned so much from this documentary about Paul, not only is the storytelling great and easy to follow, but the scenery and film depicted is realistic to the historical setting. The contrast of acting with clips of more formal educational value is a great way to take in the material but also place yourself in Paul's shoes. I enjoyed the film, found it entertaining, and the perfect length to keep the attention of the viewer for its entirety.

[SarahJajjawi-os]

I love the great sense of narrative and mystery in this movie as well as the varied use of media with maps, an actor as Paul, and Eliav as the narrator. It truly feels like you’re going through a transformational story and I like that there was so much historical context given about Paul and the thoughts at that time that allowed me to better understand the roots of Christianity. The history about the statues and this whole idea of divine statues was very new to me as well and the idea that only non-worshipped statues were accepted. This was so enlightening.

[katherinevalente]

I loved how we had different perspectives while the movie was progressing. Seeing the museum and then the actual architecture in Athens allows the viewer to picture how the sculptures were actually placed around the city. I also like how the actual story with actors was integrated into the movie, while showing the actual artifacts and having Eliav talk. This makes the movie more engaging. It was a pleasure to watch!

[rafeemirza]

I really enjoyed the overhead drone shots of the Parthenon at around 4:14. The backdrop of the entire city of Athens is both beautiful and humbling to look at. Often times during the documentary, sometimes I forgot how large the landscape is and the amount of people the city encompasses. I am glad that these on shots are periodically put in to give the audience a macroscale view of the piece.

[MarwaAbualiz]

I'm really impressed with what's shown here. After watching how they made it and knowing the challenges they faced, it's amazing what they achieved with so little time and money. The costumes look like they're from the right time, everything looks good, the acting is convincing, and the drone shots are super professional. Overall, everyone who worked on this should be proud of what they did.It's cool that you got footage of the museums and Acropolis without any people in the background. It looks like filming was an awesome experience, and it's interesting to watch.

[smooth.]

Wow, the scenery of Athens is truly breathtaking, especially how Eliav explains the Acropolis and how significant it really was. I liked how all the footage was live at the scenes and not just shown with pictures of videos.