My name's Daniel Twardowski and I'm a 19 year old Witness from Texas. I first learned about Knocking when the film crew came to my local congregation to document my friend Seth's life and his surroundings before his surgery.
About a year and a half later, I saw Knocking in its almost completed form for the first time. I was really surprised. I didn't know what to expect. I had this gut fear that the filmmaker was pulling a fast one and actually made a negative documentary about Witnesses (this was before I had met the producers, Joel Engardio and Tom Shepard). Fortunately, it was the opposite. In fact, the film was completely different from anything I had imagined.
Knocking is about people. About Seth Thomas' crisis of life and faith and his family's struggles. About Joseph Kempler's beliefs in spite of the pain he faced and his desire to connect with those of his family that he let go. Knocking tells the stories few people outside the Witness community know about. It shows examples of challenges that every Witness faces at some point in their lives.
Another strong theme of the film that many are in the dark about is the huge impact Jehovah's Witnesses have had in the field of civil liberties. Though only seeking the legal right to spread our message, the Witnesses shaped the way we look at freedom of speech as it is today. It's largely unknown, however, because it was never made a large political spectacle. Rather, it was a less glamorous battle fought in the courtrooms. Because of that, many simply have no knowledge of any of this. Knocking makes sure they do.
Knocking is a film that can really be misunderstood by those who haven't seen it, much like the people it documents. When it was nearing completion, a simple Google of "Knocking" and "documentary" pulled up a slew of anti-Jehovah's Witnesses sites that pretty much exploded in a furor over the film, railing it as a "puff-production" and a even trying to prevent PBS from airing it (include an online petition that, as of yet, has 0 signatures). Naturally, much of this came up before the film had even been finished (go figure).
On the other end of the spectrum, there are my fellow Witnesses who are suspicious of the film because it's independently made. They feel this way because the media has rarely treated Witnesses well, especially when addressing subjects such as political neutrality and blood transfusions. There are those who may never watch Knocking for that reason, and I can only say that they will miss out on an encouraging and moving film.
I can't even begin to imagine what the filmmakers had to go through to make this film. I suppose they had to do things such as convincing the Thomas', the Kemplers, and Lillian Gobitas' to share their story, convincing the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses) to provide cooperation with the film, and on top of all that, convince somebody with funding that this was a story worth telling.
I'm so glad they did, however, epecially Joel Engardio. I'd imagine he disagrees with Jehovah's Witnesses in a number of areas, yet he made this film to show the world the reality; what Witnesses are like behind the "knocking." Our faith is one we not only preach by, but live by.
About a year and a half later, I saw Knocking in its almost completed form for the first time. I was really surprised. I didn't know what to expect. I had this gut fear that the filmmaker was pulling a fast one and actually made a negative documentary about Witnesses (this was before I had met the producers, Joel Engardio and Tom Shepard). Fortunately, it was the opposite. In fact, the film was completely different from anything I had imagined.
Knocking is about people. About Seth Thomas' crisis of life and faith and his family's struggles. About Joseph Kempler's beliefs in spite of the pain he faced and his desire to connect with those of his family that he let go. Knocking tells the stories few people outside the Witness community know about. It shows examples of challenges that every Witness faces at some point in their lives.
Another strong theme of the film that many are in the dark about is the huge impact Jehovah's Witnesses have had in the field of civil liberties. Though only seeking the legal right to spread our message, the Witnesses shaped the way we look at freedom of speech as it is today. It's largely unknown, however, because it was never made a large political spectacle. Rather, it was a less glamorous battle fought in the courtrooms. Because of that, many simply have no knowledge of any of this. Knocking makes sure they do.
Knocking is a film that can really be misunderstood by those who haven't seen it, much like the people it documents. When it was nearing completion, a simple Google of "Knocking" and "documentary" pulled up a slew of anti-Jehovah's Witnesses sites that pretty much exploded in a furor over the film, railing it as a "puff-production" and a even trying to prevent PBS from airing it (include an online petition that, as of yet, has 0 signatures). Naturally, much of this came up before the film had even been finished (go figure).
On the other end of the spectrum, there are my fellow Witnesses who are suspicious of the film because it's independently made. They feel this way because the media has rarely treated Witnesses well, especially when addressing subjects such as political neutrality and blood transfusions. There are those who may never watch Knocking for that reason, and I can only say that they will miss out on an encouraging and moving film.
I can't even begin to imagine what the filmmakers had to go through to make this film. I suppose they had to do things such as convincing the Thomas', the Kemplers, and Lillian Gobitas' to share their story, convincing the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses) to provide cooperation with the film, and on top of all that, convince somebody with funding that this was a story worth telling.
I'm so glad they did, however, epecially Joel Engardio. I'd imagine he disagrees with Jehovah's Witnesses in a number of areas, yet he made this film to show the world the reality; what Witnesses are like behind the "knocking." Our faith is one we not only preach by, but live by.
