What do Jesus, heavy metal and mixed martial arts (MMA) have to do with one another? Each is a feature of the movie, “The Carpenter,” set to be released in select theaters nationwide on Nov. 1.
“A champion MMA-style prize-fighter is befriended by a benevolent carpenter from Nazareth who takes the fighter under his wing to share his wisdom and craft,” says a description of the movie. “As the fighter spends time with the gentle teacher, he quickly learns that life has more meaning with an open heart than with closed fists.”
A tagline for the movie says, “The king of the ring meets the Prince of Peace.”
‘The Carpenter’ Tells of a Fighter Who Meets Jesus
“The Carpenter” is the brainchild of Kameron Krebs and his father Kenny Krebs, who both co-wrote the film along with director Garrett Batty. Kameron’s brother, Kaulin, also stars in the film. Multiple professional fighters were involved in the movie to ensure the fighting sequences were portrayed accurately.
“Almost a decade ago, my dad and I were building a shed when we came up with the idea for the film,” said Kameron Krebs in a press release for the movie. “We were talking about how much perfection goes into the craft, and we ultimately began discussing what a perfect occupation carpentry was for Jesus. That made us wonder what it would be like to work under his tutelage as an apprentice, and from there, the film was born.”
A promotional email states that the movie “was completely self-funded by a family from the North Shore of Hawaii.” Kameron Krebs plays the lead role of Oren, an adopted Viking orphan who does MMA-style fighting.
The press release explains that MMA’s “origins pre-date the seventh century B.C., and a subculture of this style of fighting—and the wagering that accompanied [it]—was not uncommon in the region during that time.”
The trailer for “The Carpenter” shows Oren competing in fights and undergoing training. “You’ll have to weaken them all, and you’ll win the fight,” a man advises Oren, instructing him that he must fight with his mind as well as his fists.
As Oren trains to be a “champion fighter,” he becomes apprenticed to a carpenter named Yeshua, who tells him, “There are many good life lessons to be learned from sport,” adding, “If this is your gift, can you cultivate it to positively affect those around you, to let your light shine?”
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