A Kiwi film-maker has been travelling the globe making a documentary about one of the world’s newest religions.
Jess Firth, a self-confessed religious sceptic, heard about Ba-Hai an obscure yet growing religion founded a century and a half ago and found it so enthralling he travelled to Israel to make a film about it.
“It is not your traditional documentary. It covers a journey in a sense to understand this religion,” says Mr Firth.
The Ba-Hai faith has more than five million followers and is one of the fastest growing religions in the world.
The Wayfarer was shot over nine months in five countries by two Kiwi friends keen to show the rest of the world how the religion works from an outsiders perspective.
“It was just being a bit ballsy I suppose. It was a couple of Kiwi lads with some pro gear and we just decided to check it out. Looking back on it we were probably a bit naïve and silly,” says Firth.
The London-based film-maker appreciates the Middle East and Northern Africa are not on everyone’s tourist itinerary.
“You roll around and you meet other travellers but not really New Zealanders,” says Mr Firth.
Filming in places like Palestine and Egypt was sometimes problematic.
“I’ve been detained twice for about five hours. Shuffled through different interrogation rooms where you start with a guy with one star until you get the one with five stars on his shoulder, and then you’re free to go” says Mr Firth.
While Firth remains agnostic, he says the lessons he learned from the people he met will stick with him for life.
3 News