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In collaboration on a first-of-its-kind project for Holy Week, Wintershall Theatre Company and Christian Art have joined forces on The Stations of the Cross: Pray with us, a short film depicting the fourteen scenes from Christ’s Passion.

Filmed at Wintershall Estate against a striking 20-foot cinematic backdrop, each scene from the Stations of the Cross was carefully arranged, lit, and filmed to create the effect of a tableau vivant—a living painting.

The new twenty-minute film is an emotionally powerful experience, featuring both grand crowd scenes and intimate moments, such as the encounter between Jesus and His mother. Captured using cinematic techniques, the production team employed a high-frame-rate camera—similar to those used in nature documentaries—to enable ultra-slow motion, enhancing the painting-effect of each scene/tableau.

Beyond its artistic vision, the project is intended as a prayer aid for Holy Week and beyond, offering a meditative resource throughout the year. Art and video at the service of prayer.

The tradition of tableaux vivants, or “living pictures,” dates back to the Middle Ages and gained popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries as a theatrical artform. In these staged scenes, actors would pose silently and motionlessly to recreate famous artworks or dramatic moments, often with elaborate costumes, lighting, and minimal movement. The tableau vivant artform has found new life in video, where the boundary between stillness and motion can be artfully explored, inviting the viewer to contemplation and often emotive experience.

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Sources: Wintershall; Christian Art