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Religion, no matter in what guise, has accompanied the life of humankind from the darkness of its origin, from the earliest stirrings of consciousness. Hence it seems that one can only understand human
beings and societies if one understands their religion. In the years following the terror attacks of 9/11, 2001, religion per se has penetrated as never before the awareness of the general public worldwide. This six-part TV series is conceived as a direct and specific reaction – terrible as the cause certainly is – to this newly aroused interest. This series is inspired by the conviction that only knowledge and mutual acceptance can enable the religions to move from their
adversarial stance to a form of peaceful co-existence, perhaps even to a co-operation based on understanding. This necessitates overcoming one’s own claim to truth and arousing a deep interest in the existential interpretations of others. Six protagonists, six aims, six paths, six encounters with religion: Six people set off on a journey back to the
provenance of their cultural roots, their spiritual identity, to the origin of their religion. The pilgrim, in search of the roots of his faith, is both travel guide and catalyst for the viewer. The films combine the subjectivity and authenticity of the individual pilgrim in each episode with a dogmatically neutral overview of his religion.
Thus, beyond the pilgrim’s subjective view, there emerges an overview of the world religions, he takes us beyond his personal aim to the spiritual sources, to the mythical sites of humankind. The encounter with sacred sites, where religion manifests itself, is intended to showcase their significance for the various edifices of faith and to discover in their diversity that which is common to all religions.