Private Project

The Religion Move

A walk through the footsteps of several major religions, those who are drawn to it, and those who are repelled. The first-person accounts of the faithful & the unaffiliated, from Maine to Massachusetts, explore the practices of democracy & theocracy & what lies between.

Alan Kryszak
 - Director/Writer/Editor/Original Music

UMM Downeast Documentary Film Crew-
Graham Lee
Lucas Boyett
Halle Brown
Lydia DeSchiffart
Henry Dunn
Jana McDonald
Joscelyn Rebello
Jo Dee White

“Joan of Arc Reenactment” Cast:
Lydia DeSchiffart
Graham Lee

Note: The view Expressed in This Film Do Not Represent the Students or the University of Maine, Except for Student Interviews - in their own words.

  • Alan Kryszak
    Director
    Hungry Now, Privacy & The Power of Secrets, When The Chevy Breaks, Who Made You In America?, Whatever Works: Exploring Opiate Addiction
  • Alan Kryszak
    Writer
  • Alan Kryszak
    Producer
  • Religious Leaders, People from all over Maine & 1 in Boston
    First-Person Interviews
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Full HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alan Kryszak


Al Kryszak is a composer, guitarist & filmmaker, with film work screened throughout New England, featured on PBS, and festivals including The Hague Global Cinema Festival, Sweden Film Awards, New Haven International, Docs Without Borders & The Toronto Short Film Festival. His concert & film music has premiered on Turner Classic Movies, Carnegie Recital Hall, The Film Society of Lincoln Center & KINO International.

Peter Keough of The Boston Globe wrote of "Privacy & the Power of Secrets" premiere: "Artful and engaging, it’s the way a movie like this should be made." (4-21-21)

On New Media Faculties at Southern New Hampshire, Unity College & The University of Maine at Machias, Kryszak directs students in filmmaking through the Downeast Documentary project, assigning crew roles to practice the art of film production.

Recent solo music projects: "Murmur Rations" & "Soft Clowns of the Sea" were released on the FilmTrax/The Orchard labels.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film is dedicated to the victims of faith, a Palestinian boy, cornered in a Mosque by heavily armed Israeli soldiers because he is the same gender as real terrorists. The film is for the Jewish teenager in Maine who didn’t expect to hear Nazi shouts as he waited for the light to change. One lesbian couple experiences unexpected acceptance in church, while another couple is disowned by parents due to Christian beliefs. A Native American tribe wrestling with the desire to forget a building that harbors more than a symbol of faith. This film is especially dedicated to gender-targeted victims, LGBTQ stories include a trans retiree and a gay teen told he’s going to hell; and a female cellist already there, whose beautiful face is a death sentence from god-fearing men in Iran.

With the growing collisions between religious values brought into laws affecting citizens who do not adhere to those beliefs, the pre-Revolutionary War topic of Democracy versus Theocracy has re-emerged, dramatically altering civil rights, women's rights & the right to read a book.

This film asks parties on both sides of the debate, what they believe & whether "separation of church and state" is still valid, as the U.S founders envisioned.