Film: Out of Egypt: Coptic Christians in America
Andrew Ishak, a 25-year-old graduate student at the University of Texas-Austin, spent three years filming, editing and producing a documentary that profiles Coptic Christian life in the San Francisco Bay Area. The film documents the journey and looks into the future of a religion trying to balance the cultures of Egypt with Christianity in an increasingly progressive setting.
The film includes scenes from a pivotal moment in Andrew’s life, the day he married his wife, Heather, who is white and a Methodist. The couple still struggles with adapting to one another’s faiths and families.
Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7 and don’t eat any animal products for 14 days prior to the holiday. Andrew decided to forgo this practice to have Christmas dinner with Heather’s family. The decision was a difficult one for Andrew because what differentiates Coptic Christianity from other religions in the United States is its uncompromising determination to stay true to the faith.
About 150 Coptic churches in North America serve as a haven for many Egyptian-Americans, not only as a place of worship but as an extension of what life was like in Egypt. Coptic Christians strictly follow teachings close to 2,000 years old, unwilling to alter or adapt them even as thousands emigrated westward.
The film is set to premiere at 9 p.m. on July 25 at Camera 3 in San Jose.
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