Pope JOHN PAUL II Biography Witness to Hope available

PRESS RELEASE


BOSTON, Mass. (April 2, 2005): As reported by all major news agencies, Pope John Paul II died Saturday, April 2, 2005. Witness to Hope, the definitive biography of Pope John Paul II, is available through U.S. based distributor APT Worldwide. The two hour documentary, based on noted Catholic theologian George Wiegel’s biography of the same name, may be supplemented with obituary text specially prepared by the producer. Television rights to the program are available in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Home video and DVD rights are available worldwide.

Witness to Hope provides an in-depth exploration of the experiences and personalities that helped forge the character of the man the world knows as Pope John Paul II. Shaped by the terrors of Nazi-occupied Poland and the subsequent brutalities of the Communist era, John Paul II became one of the world’s greatest proponents of religious freedom and human rights. With rare historical stills and archive film and original location shooting in Rome and Poland, this richly textured documentary traces the personal life and struggles of the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years.

Witness to Hope was produced by the U.S. based production company Wyler/Rymland Productions and Commandant LLC. Wyler/Rymland principal Richard Rymland says, “This film captures, for the first time, the complete life and origins of a man who has profoundly affected modern world history.” He continues, “interviews on location in Poland with friends who grew up with him add a newly revealed dimension to this extraordinary leader.”

Wyler/Rymland Productions
Wyler/Rymland Productions recent credits include the Emmy-nominated picture, “Directed by William Wyler,” “Hot on the Trail” produced for Turner Broadcasting and a forthcoming three-hour series “Defending America – Special Operation Forces,” now in pre-production.

APT Worldwide
APT Worldwide, located in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., is a major supplier of quality non-fiction programming to broadcasters around the world. It is a division of American Public Television, a leading distributor of television programming to public television stations in the United States.

About American Public Television
For 44 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations. APT distributes more than 10,000 hours of programming including JFK: Breaking the News, Simply Ming, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, Battlefield Britain, Jungle, America's Test Kitchen, Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen and classic movies. APT is known for identifying innovative programs and developing creative distribution techniques for producers. In four decades, it has established a tradition of providing public television stations nationwide with program choices that enable them to strengthen and customize their schedules.