MEDIA RELEASES

Dominican University’s Siena Center will present award-winning documentary filmmaker Martin Doblmeier in its annual Advent Lecture on Wednesday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Priory Campus auditorium, 7200 W. Division St., River Forest. Doblmeier, whose films explore stories of spirituality and the ways faith can lead individuals to extraordinary actions, will address “ Waiting in Hope: Picturing the Christian Life.”

Doblmeier’s lecture will focus on the spiritual insights he has gained through his work, illustrated with selected clips from his films. The president and founder of Journey Films, Doblmeier’s most recent documentary is “The Power of Forgiveness.” Scheduled to air on PBS next year, the film examines the role forgiveness can play in alleviating anger and grief, and tells the stories of individuals and communities who take seriously the decision to forgive. It was recently shown to students and community members in Blacksburg, VA, home of Virginia Tech University. It is due for a seven-day run at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago starting November 30.

In the last few years, Doblmeier has appeared in over 100 churches, synagogues and theaters across the country, and has been a guest on numerous national and international programs. His filming has taken him to over 40 countries, where he has worked with such leading religious figures as Desmond Tutu, Thich Nhat Hanh and Elie Wiesel.

Doblmeier, who holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Providence College, drew wide acclaim for his 2006 theatrical and PBS release, “Bonhoeffer.” A German theologian and Nazi resister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed in Berlin shortly before the end of World War II for his involvement in a plot to kill Hitler. (Tom Cruise plays the chief plotter, Claus von Stauffenberg, in the upcoming film, “Valkyrie.”)

Admission for this lecture is $10. For more information on Dominican University’s Siena Center, please call (708) 714-9105 or visit www.siena.dom.edu.