THE DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL® BRINGS VIEWERS STORIES OF
FAITH TRANSFORMED WITH EXCLUSIVE PREMIERES OF
“BORN AGAIN” AND “CIRCUMCISE ME” ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 7
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 12, 2009) — The Documentary Channel® (DOC) presents a pair of documentaries that deal with two individuals’ movements away from their Christian upbringing to radically different places in their life journey during its “Primetime Premieres” lineup on Monday Dec. 7. The network exclusively premieres “Born Again,” the heartbreak of a family divided over religion, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT by “Circumcise Me: The Comedy of Yisrael Campbell,” a stand-up comedian who humorously recounts his tale of converting to Judaism three different times. The two documentaries are part of the 10-film package DOC recently secured from Los Angeles-based distributor, Seventh Art Releasing.

DOC also is making both films available online in their entirety on the network’s Sling.com channel (www.sling.com/network/189/The-Documentary-Channel) beginning Monday, Dec. 7.

“These two storytellers share their highly personal and fascinating stories of self discovery, yet they do so with very different tones that are equally impactful,” says Kate Pearson, The Documentary Channel senior vice president of programming. “‘Born Again’ is more serious in its introspection while ‘Circumcise Me’ will have you rolling on the floor with laughter – after all, he is a stand-up comedian!”

“Born Again” is the story of Pennsylvania-born filmmaker Markie Hancock, who was indoctrinated as a child to be a born-again Evangelical Christian. Although a fervent believer into her early twenties, Hancock began experiencing dissonance and doubt. In its network debut, “Born Again” uncovers Hancock’s slow and painful break with her faith and devout Christian family as she experiences new directions for her life including her sexual awakening as a lesbian. Upon returning home from several life-changing years in Berlin, she recognizes that the split with her family is irreconcilable unless she returns to the faith and no longer lives her life as a lesbian. Through this personal exploration we see a divided family, a divided nation, and a divided self who, despite the odds, emerges whole.

“Circumcise Me: The Comedy of Yisrael Campbell” makes its network premiere on DOC after a successful run on the film festival circuit. The documentary, directed by David Blumenfeld and Matthew Kalman, chronicles the life journey of Christopher Campbell, an average Irish, Italian Catholic kid from Philadelphia, comic actor, sober alcoholic, recovering drug addict, husband, father, reform, conservative, unorthodox, orthodox Jew. His name is now Yisrael Campbell, and this documentary is his story—a spiritual journey stretching across four decades, two continents, and three circumcisions. It’s that rare collision of comedy and theater that will have women howling with laughter, men squirming in their seats, and everyone standing up to cheer. Poignant, provocative, and powerfully witty, “Circumcise Me” is the true—and truly unforgettable—story of a man who was born to be funny. The Jewish part came later. More information available online at: http://www.circumcisemetheplay.com.

DOC is available on DISH Network (Channel 197), and several broadcast stations in major markets including NYC TV (Channel 25) throughout the greater New York metropolitan area.

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About Seventh Art Releasing: Seventh Art Releasing is an independent full service distributor, producer, sales agent, and specialized releasing and marketing company that continues to distribute unique, award-winning documentaries and fiction films since 1994. In the 15 years since its inception, the company has handled over 250 films and counting. Seventh Art’s films have received many awards, including both Academy Award nominations and Oscars. For information, visit www.7thart.com.

About The Documentary Channel®: The Documentary Channel (DOC) is the USA’s first 24-hour television network exclusively devoted to documentary films and the independent documentary filmmaker, providing viewers with round-the-clock opportunities to see fascinating, eclectic and award-winning documentary films of all lengths and genres. For more information on DOC, visit www.documentarychannel.com.

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HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Contacts:

The Documentary Channel
Barry Smith / Cathy Vo / Bonnie Winings
SWPR Group
(818) 760-7131
bsmith@swprgroup.com / cvo@swprgroup.com / bwinings@swprgroup.com