"Hellbound?" documentary to film throughout the Pacific Northwest this July

June 24, 2011 - PRLog -- If God is our pure, all-loving Creator, can he really turn his back on sinners and allow them to suffer for eternity in hell? Where did this vision of hell come from? Is it possible we’ve got hell wrong? Or are recent challenges to the traditional view merely an attempt to avoid the inevitable?

These are the questions Abbotsford-based filmmaker Kevin Miller is asking in his new feature-length documentary "Hellbound?", which will be filming throughout the Pacific Northwest in mid-July.

"To me, hell is just the tip of the iceberg," says Miller. "I know that's a horrible analogy, seeing as hell is traditionally associated with flames. But the point is, we don't arrive at a position on hell in a vacuum. It's always influenced by how we perceive God, the Bible, justice, freedom and, ultimately, ourselves. So even though many people claim they're merely taking what the Bible says about hell at face value, there's a lot more going on than you would think. I'm eager to get to the bottom of that interpretation process. In other words, why are we so bound to the idea of hell?"

To aid Miller in his exploration of these ideas, on this leg of the shoot he will interview a number of personalities in BC's Lower Mainland and in the Portland/Salem area of Oregon. Some of the names include William Paul Young, bestselling author of "The Shack," philosopher Thomas Talbott, Regent College professor John Stackhouse, Jr., author Brad Jersak, University of the Fraser Valley professor Ron Dart and Orthodox Archbishop Lazar Puhalo.

"For me, it's important to come at this issue from a variety of perspectives--theological, psychological, sociological, political--because even though most people associate hell with Christianity, the idea of post-mortem punishment is larger than any single religion," says Miller.

This point was made clear to Miller at Copenhell, a death metal festival in Copenhagen, Denmark, where "Hellbound?" kicked off its production in June. "What really surprised me was how the metal community has essentially re-purposed hell, transforming it from a place you want to avoid after you die into a focal point for building community and identity. For them, hell isn’t about punishment; it’s about freedom."

"Hellbound?" is Miller's sixth feature-length documentary, but it's his first time at the helm as writer-director-producer. Some of Miller’s previous productions include “Sex+Money: A National Search for Human Worth” and “spOILed,” both of which will be released later this summer.

Production on "Hellbound?" will continue throughout the summer and fall, with shoots taking place in various locations throughout North America. "Hellbound?" is scheduled for release in 2012.