The competition has ended and the winners will receive an email from us. If nothing happens this time, the next competition is already waiting for you.
To this day, Mary Magdalene, Jesus' most important disciple, is interpreted in very different and contradictory ways - but what do we really know about her and where do the different interpretations of her come from? With MARIA MAGDALENA, director Garth Davis (LION) starts on March 15th, a touching portrait of an enigmatic and dazzling figure in Christian history. For the cinema release we are giving away a great fan package , consisting of a poster and a travel guide for Israel by Marco Polo . To participate, all you have to do is answer the following question in the comment box below:
When is the traditional memorial day of St. Mary Magdalene?
The story
MARIA MAGDALENA is the true and modern portrait of an enigmatic and dazzling figure in Christian history who is difficult to grasp and is still interpreted in very different and contradictory ways today.
In his feature film debut Lion – The Long Way Home, which was nominated for six Oscars®, Garth Davis followed a young Indian man's adventurous search for his lost family. Now in MARIA MAGDALENA he tells the true story of a search for new perspectives in life. In his film adaptation of her moving life, he provides a contemporary reinterpretation of the biblical story of Mary Magdalene.
While Mary Magdalene was still a largely silent woman on the sidelines of the events in the controversial films by Martin Scorsese (The Last Temptation of Christ) and Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ), she is now moving into the center. After Barbara Hershey and Monica Bellucci, Mary Magdalene is interpreted in a modern and new way by Rooney Mara (A Ghost Story, Lion - The Long Way Home), who appears here for the second time under the direction of Garth Davis. Jesus is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Walk the Line, The Master, Her,). Other important roles include Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Cut, Repairing the Living) as Judas and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, The Martian, Dr. Strange) as Peter.
Mary Magdalene – myths and facts
MARIA MAGDALENA, the story of a courageous woman who made her way alongside Jesus, is coming to cinemas. The myths surrounding Mary Magdalene are as varied as they are widespread. Find out the most important facts and most common assumptions about Mary Magdalene and whether they are proven, refuted or still a mystery today...
Mary Magdalene's relationship with Jesus
According to the Gospels of the New Testament, Mary Magdalene was a companion or disciple of Jesus and was present both at his death and at his burial. She is also considered the (!) witness of his resurrection. It is given an even more important role in the various apocryphal, extra-biblical writings. Interpretations of the “Gospel According to Philip,” which was written in the third century, appear to provide evidence that Mary Magdalene and Jesus could have been a couple. However, due to a textual gap in the tradition, this remains speculative. This thesis became very well known in recent popular literature, among other things, through Dan Brown's novel “Sacrilege”.
Mary Magdalene's image
In 591, the then Pope Gregory ensured that the image of Mary Magdalene changed in a fundamentally different direction than it had previously been the case. In a sermon, the Pope equated Mary Magdalene with the anonymous sinner from the Gospel of Luke who washed Jesus' feet. The fact that this interpretation of the Bible is virtually untenable could not save Mary Magdalene's reputation. From then on she was considered a sinner, this circumstance was later reinterpreted: Maria was considered a prostitute. At least the Eastern Church never joined in this “character assassination”. To this day, Mary Magdalene has a higher status in the Greek Orthodox Church than in the Western Church.
Mary Magdalene meaning
Before Mary Magdalene was demoted to a “sinful whore,” she was considered a very important biblical-historical person. In the apocryphal writing “Pistis Sophia”, which was written in the third century AD, she even has a status that goes far beyond that of a “simple” disciple. Here, as an interpreter of texts and questioner, she occupies positions of extremely great importance, which are underpinned by a number of honorifics for Mary Magdalene, including “Spirit-Filled,” “Gifted,” and “Heiress of the Kingdom of Light.”
In June 2016, Mary Magdalene experienced special appreciation: with a decree, Pope Francis elevated the traditional day of remembrance of St. Mary Magdalene (July 22nd) to the status of a festival; The woman who was early honored by the ancient church as an “equal to the apostles” is now considered to be on an equal footing with them as the “apostle of the apostles”.
Win a great fan package for the theatrical release of MARIA MAGDALENA on March 15th!
