Steph Curry and Viola Davis Team Up to Tell Story of Charleston Church Shooting
Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry and Actress Viola Davis signed on last week as executive producers for the documentary, "Emanuel," which tells the story of the tragic 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.
The celebrities announced their involvement as executive producers this week through their media companies, Curry by way of Unanimous Media and Davis via Julius Tennon (JuVee Productions).
"Emanuel" is a documentary that recounts the mass shooting which took place June 17, 2015, when a young man named Dylann Roof walked in and sat down for a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, waited until the closing prayer and opened fire, killing nine people.
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According to a press release posted on TheWrap.com, the Brian Ivie film will feature personal testimonials from survivors and the family members of those who were killed. "Emanuel" is described as a "poignant story of justice and faith, love and hate, and the healing power of forgiveness."
"Emanuel is an incredibly powerful film and we're honored to come on board as executive producers," Curry said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "The documentary highlights how a horrible tragedy can bring a community together, and spreads an important message about the power of forgiveness. Stories like this are the reason we created Unanimous and entered the entertainment space. I hope the film inspires others like it does me."
The "How Do I Get Away With Murder" actress likewise said the senseless shooting "served as a stark reminder of the power of racism."
Davis and Tennon added, "That evening, a routine Bible study at Emanuel Church was a soft target based solely on the racial profile of the congregation. We, along with the country, grieved each family's loss. Yet, miraculously, from this devastation we witnessed tremendous benchmarks of humanity. The survivors found courage to love in the face of hate. JuVee is proud to be a part of this healing and truth telling along with Unanimous Media, Brian Ivie and John Shepherd."
Spiritual first responder, Pastor Dimas Salaberrios, who also serves as executive producer of "Emanuel," took to Facebook to share that film is already receiving high praise.
"Thank you, Jesus. Critics are loving our film 'Emanuel'! It has won at every festival it's been entered in," he wrote.
For more information on Emanuel visit the website.
