Filmmakers Producing Evangelistic Silent Feature Film: 'The Good Book'

By Justin Sarachik, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, May 28, 2013

This summer will mark the beginning of production for the first silent evangelistic Christian film in the "talkie" era, "The Good Book." The story follows a group of seven strangers who find a New Testament Bible.

Fred and Sharon Wilharm are the husband and wife team producing this movie.

"I'd been toying with the story concept for awhile," says Sharon, "but I knew something was missing. Fred and I were talking about how important it would be to 'show not tell' and then it hit us. Why not take it to the extreme and make a completely silent film?"

"We immediately realized how much more powerful the message could be if words didn't get in the way," says Fred. "From there, it all started falling into place."

The couple's last film was "Flowers for Fannie," but it was not in wide release format. "The Good Book" is their fifth faith-based film.

"We are very excited to hear about the Wilharm's next movie project," Matt Plunk, worship minister from Destin, Fla. said in a press release. "The unique nature of this film has unlimited potential for sharing the love of Christ literally around the world."

"What a great way to spread to all the nations not only the word of God, but the love of God without language barriers," adds Matt's wife Grace.

"The Good Book" will film this summer and could release in April 2014.

The first "official" silent Christian movie/short was also produced by a husband and wife team. James and Eloyce Gist were evangelists in the 20s and 30s and created the well known movie at the time, "Hellbound Train."

The latest Christian silent short named, "Parable," was produced by the Protestant Council of New York in 1964 for the New York World's Fair. Last year it was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.