Movie: Our Triumphant Holy Day
Director: Greg Di Roma
“It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”
― Pope John Paul II
Christ is a symbol of hope to many across the world. His life and sacrifice created a great impact on humankind and they changed for the better. Director Greg Di Roma too, nurtures the love for the chosen one and his film reflects the love in its every frame. Greg belongs to the Young Adult Ministry of St. Augustine’s Parish in Ossining, New York. As the parish talked about going on a pilgrimage to the holy land of Jerusalem, Greg decided to document every single moment there. The movie depicts how people view Jesus in modern times and also stands as a proof of Greg’s devotion.
The holy land of Jerusalem is also known as the fifth Gospel after Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As Jerusalem allows one to witness the Gospel stories in flesh and creates an opportunity to relive the stories. This documentary focuses on its aspects subtly. The movie captures the holy pilgrimage and the essence. The director started his journey with 28 other pilgrims in January 2020 into the Holy Land in Israel and Palestine.The film captures the major sites of the Holy Land and their impact on Salvation History. The people follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ and discover the human side of his story that highlights the true meanings of Love, Faith and Suffering.Stories play an important role in a person’s life, and Greg has perfectly visualised the premise of his film. His love for storytelling and his devotion to Christ have come together to allow him to create something extremely beautiful.
Journey constructs a very important and dominant theme in the Bible. All his life, the messiah of Nazareth constantly and consistently walked with others. His journey often embraced the outcast and the marginalised. Jesus roamed around the lands to share his stories, his food and his vision. He dreamt and envisioned the Kingdom of God with those who had kindness, love and sympathy within them. The film also contains a journey and shows how Jesus’ devotees uphold his true values in this meek, bleak and hopeless world.
The name of the documentary is also significant as Our Triumphant Holy Day is the second line from the hymn, “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.” The hymn is sung during Easter around Jesus’s tomb. The line marks how joyful and assuring the event of Jesus’ resurrection is.The name of the movie, though taken from a hymn, shows the literal triumph of the pilgrims who finally reaches the place that their worshipped had blessed. It is more like coming full circle for Gregory. The dreams he had as a young boy has gotten its shape by his own self.
In terms of technicalities, the film excels at the camerawork. The interviews or tales captured by Greg shows his compassion and understanding and also gives us a glimpse of a better world.
The man of Nazareth had sacrificed himself for the greater good of mankind, and this documentary is an earnest offering of love.
