Church to screen 'The Oath' Friday

The film "The Oath," which recently won an award for "Best Cinematography" at the Sundance Film Festival, will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 10 S. Second St., in downtown Geneva.

Directed by Laura Poitras and filmed in Yemen, the film presents a complex view of al-Qaida through the stories of two brothers-in-law who joined the movement in the 1990s. One became Osama bin Laden's bodyguard; the other became bin Laden's driver and was subsequently imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.

The world premier of "The Oath" was in January 2010 at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film received critical acclaim.

Due to limited seating capacity at the church, people who plan to attend must call (630) 232-2350.

The director's aunt and uncle live in St. Charles and arranged for the film to be shown at the church.

According to their niece, "This is definitely the hardest film I've ever worked on. Working in Baghdad was much easier by comparison. The sensitivity of the issues in this film added a level of stress and anxiety that I've never experienced. Everyone who worked on the project took on this intense pressure."

The film is part of the free monthly third-Friday Film programs, which are sponsored by the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva. The public is encouraged to register at content.uusg.org/friday-flicks/ to receive e-mail notices of future programs.

For information, visit uusg.org.