Moriah: The Lord Will Provide

Logline:
When Abraham receives instructions from God to sacrifice his only son, his faith is put to the test as they journey to the land of Moriah for the ultimate sacrifice.

Synopsis:
Abraham, wealthy patriarch of the Hebrew people goes out one evening to give thanks for all that God has blessed him with when God himself commands the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac, in service to the Almighty.

Shocked, confused and heartbroken, Abraham relays the news to his wife, Sarah. She doesn’t take it well. The couple get into a heated argument over the morality of God who would ask this. Things escalate to where Sarah storms off defiant.

When Abraham and Isaac arrive at the mountain God has chosen, Abraham and Isaac camp out in the woods. Isaac has grown impatient with the lack of communication coming from his father and demands an explanation. Abraham recounts his relationship with God to prove that “God doesn’t promise easy lives, but when we follow him, he blesses us.” This puts Isaac to sleep.

The next day Isaac and Abraham reach the top where the sacrifice is to take place. Abraham tells Isaac to gather some firewood. When Isaac’s back is turned, Abraham gets the jump on him but Isaac, confused and betrayed, runs into the woods. He doubles back when he hears an other-worldly sound and sees his father doubled-over in grief. He realizes that this isn’t something he wanted to do, but was called by God to do.

Isaac returns agrees to go through with it. He hands the knife back to Abraham and allows himself to be placed on the altar.

Abraham closes his eyes as the knife falls plunges into Isaac. But when he opens his eyes he sees that the’s no longer at the altar, but transported to a thicket nearby. He also hasn’t killed Isaac but instead stabbed a ram.

Isaac, ropes burned away, rises from the altar and the two men embrace.

  • Colby Dick
    Director
  • Colby Dick
    Writer
  • Tyler Cermele
    Producer
  • Michael Gaston
    Key Cast
    "Abraham"
  • Sean M Dale
    Key Cast
    "Isaac"
  • Cynthia Perry
    Key Cast
    "Sarah"
  • Laura Mayes
    Editor
  • Addison Rudicile
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Biblical, Faith-Based, Drama
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - SCAD
Director Biography - Colby Dick

He is the writer and director of MORIAH, finishing his senior year at SCAD as a Film and Television major. 3 years ago Colby was inspired to create biblically accurate films with relatable characters, starting with the story of Abraham and Isaac. Over the years he has experimented with biblical narratives, emphasizing conflict and character relationships. Throughout his time at SCAD he has created 10 shorts, developing his skills and stretching himself creatively.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a Christian filmmaker I’ve been repeatedly disappointed by most biblical adaptations. They tend to fall into one of two camps. Either the filmmaker follows the biblical account to a tee, resulting in wooden, monolithic characters who aren’t relatable, or the filmmaker takes too many liberties with the source material, often compromising what was profound about these centuries-old stories to begin with. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Biblical stories are full of complex characters that experience a wide variety of emotions and conflicts.

With MORIAH my vision is to shine a light on the relationships and conflicts that likely took place without compromising the narrative as a whole. The main dramatic question is “does Abraham have the faith to go through with this sacrifice of his son.” This is no small task.

This film focuses on the relationship between Abraham and Isaac as they make their way up Mount Moriah. The relationship becomes strained when Isaac grows suspicious of his father, and the true nature of the adventure. The tone is heavy drama, allowing us to better understand the incredible pressure these people were under. It is period, shot in undeveloped areas of Atlanta to give it that old world, secluded look.