Knocking (documentary)

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Knocking is a 2006 documentary directed by Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard that focuses on the civil liberties fought for by Jehovah's Witnesses. It primarily focuses on the stories of three Jehovah's Witnesses, and how their lives illustrate three fundamental Witness teachings that have affected society at large in surprising ways: Witnesses' refusal to participate in war, accept blood transfusions, and salute the flag.

Knocking won the jury award for best documentary at the 2006 USA Film Festival in Dallas and the audience award for best documentary at the 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival. It has shown at film festivals in Trenton, New Jersey; Flint, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Reno, Nevada; East Lansing, Michigan.

Knocking will be broadcast on the PBS series Independent Lens on May 22nd, 2007 and is currently available on DVD.

Image:Knocking Dvd cover 150.jpg‎

[edit] Main characters

Lillian Gobitas: As a girl in Pennsylvania, her and thousands of other Witness children's refusal to salute the United States flag set off a firestorm of controversy that led to a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling on freedom of religion.

Joseph Kempler: Born a Jew, he converted to the Jehovah's Witness faith following World War II after observing their integrity alongside Jews in Nazi concentration camps. Although he married after the war, his wife died and his daughter was raised by a relative. After converting, Kempler remarried and had two sons, but remained distant from his daughter's Jewish family. In order to draw his family closer together, Kempler took them on a trip to Europe to see his home country and visit the Melk and Auschwitz concentration camps.

Seth Thomas: A 23-year-old Witness, who despite the risk and opposition from a non-Witness family, refused any blood transfusions with his liver transplant operation. While initially refused treatment by the Baylor University Medical Center of Texas, surgeons with the University of Southern California University Hospital in Los Angeles agreed to perform the operation, believing that research in bloodless medicine is necessary and should be explored.

[edit] Film Festival awards

KNOCKING has won:

Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 USA Film Festival (Dallas)
Best Documentary, Jury Award, 2006 Trenton Film Festival (New Jersey)
Best Documentary, Audience Award, 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival
Best First Film, Jury Award, 2006 Long Island International Film Expo (New York)
Official Selection, 2006 Cleveland International Film Festival