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McEveety, who is himself a Christian, said these parallels should make the movie just as relevant to Christian viewers as it is to Muslim viewers. "This woman is very much like Jesus, and she doesn't even know him. And she carried her cross and she was crucified with dignity and honor. The difference is that Jesus was God and this woman is a follower of God." He added: "For me, personally, it's a very faith-filled film. I couldn't ignore it."

Similarly, Caviezel, also a Christian, said he hoped the film would draw North American believers out of their complacency and get them thinking about the role that suffering plays in our faith. "So much of the time now, we think of the Gospels and say, 'Wasn't it great that they did that for us, we don't have to do that now.' So suffering plays no part of our Christianity, it was just 'those guys back then.' It's not true. It's in everyday life. Where are we going to stand? What choice are we going to make? Are we going to be cowards?

"Films like this are great trial runs. It's a practice. You can sit there and watch it, and the way films act, they play on your emotions and they draw your soul out, and this kind of film does that. There's an old saying, 'What you do in private is who you really are.' And in the privacy of that place in the little theatre, you know what you are, whether you're full of courage or you're a coward, what you would do. If you're a coward, then you can say, 'No one else knows that, but I can get right and get ready, because something may come.'"

The film's official website includes a "Get Involved" section for those who'd like to learn more about women's rights violations around the world, and how to take action.

For bonus coverage of our interview with Steve McEveety, see the CT Movies blog.

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