The movie's director Matthew Crouch explained that from the beginning he was intrigued by Blessitt's unique mission. "I wanted to explore exactly what it is that drives a man like this," explained Crouch, who is producing the film with veteran filmmakers Richard J. Cook and Stephan Blinn. "Is he crazy? Is he a fanatic? Or is something else deep and profound driving him on?"
Blessitt isn't put off when people laugh at him as he carries the cross past them. "They yell out, 'Hey, you're a nut,'" he reminisces in the film's opening. To which he jovially responds, "At least I'm screwed on the right bolt!"
Over the last 40 years Blessitt has carried the cross through 52 war zones, met and visited with both presidents and peasants, been greeted by hundreds of thousands in packed town squares, and spent countless months walking alone down deserted highways—all, he says, for one reason: to share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone he meets.
"All to often religion has caused the cross to become a symbol of conflict around the world," explains Blessitt, "but it's part of my life's mission—and hopefully the mission of this film—to reinterpret the meaning of the cross for people so they can see that the cross is not something that's against them, but the ultimate symbol that says God loves you no matter what."
He points out that he's still alive today, having survived wars, firing squads, beatings, deadly jungles—all while carrying this 12-foot rough-wooden emblem of God's love for all humanity. The cross has even gained him entry to places that would be inaccessible to most individuals bearing a Christian message. For example, in 1982 Blessitt marched alone through five fighting armies into West Beirut to pray for Yassir Arafat. The entire incident was covered live by CNN's Peter Arnet.
Now 68, Arthur Blessitt first came to notoriety back in the '60s when he was known as "The Minister of Sunset Strip," and spent his time feeding and witnessing to hippies, Hell's Angels, and Black Panthers during some of Hollywood's most radical days. In December 1969, Blessitt felt God calling him to remove the giant cross from where it hung in his Christian coffee house, and to begin carrying it on foot across the county. Not even the brain aneurism he suffered two weeks before he was to begin his journey could stop him from his mission.
The film's co-producer Stephan Blinn notes, "Even if you're someone who couldn't care less about church, religion, Christianity, or whatever, here's a guy who's just full-on gone for it! He's been through some of the most mind-blowing stuff, and no matter who you are you're just sitting there in awe going, 'No freakin' way did he just say that!"
Adds Crouch, "I always find myself inspired by people driven to lead extreme lives—whether they're climbing Everest, investing all they have into the world's next great company, or giving it all away to care for destitute orphans in India. Arthur is just such a person. Besides, who wouldn't want to make a film that can be summed up as 'Survivor Man Meets Blue Planet!'"
Over the last several years Gener8Xion Entertainment, which is both producing and distributing The Cross, has won the acclaim of critics and audiences alike for its grassroots-marketed, box office hits, like the 1999 Number-One Independent Release The Omega Code, and the 2006 big-screen epic One Night With The King, that included performances by screen legends Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif.
Susan Zahn, an expert in faith-based media, predicts that the movie will create a lot of excitement among viewers in all categories. "People are looking for something real to believe in and hope for," she said, "and Arthur Blessitt has touched a nerve among people all over the world. I think this movie could start a trend of people being more open about the issue of sharing faith in the public square."
In addition to the March 27th release of "The Cross," Arthur Blessitt's book of his experiences, also entitled The Cross, has been published by Authentic Publishing.
About Gener8Xion Entertainment-
Gener8Xion Entertainment, Inc. is a film and television production and distribution studio engaged in various projects focused on life-affirming, family entertainment. Visit them online at www.8x.com.
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