Club to screen PBS documentary on Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, Nov. 20

The National Press Club will present the Washington premiere screening of the 90-minute public television documentary, “Guru Nanak: The Founder of Sikhism--Life and Legacy," the story of the founder of the world’s fifth largest religion, on Wednesday Nov. 20, at 7 p.m.

The screening will be preceded by a reception at 6 p.m. A panel discussion with the film participants, moderated by Club President and Associated Press investigations editor Alison Kodjak, will follow.

Cost is $10 for Club members, $15 for nonmembers. Purchase tickets online.

Filmmakers and Club members Gerald Krell and Adam Krell made the documentary in India, Pakistan and on locations nationwide. The trailer can be viewed above.

The documentary recently screened at the LA Awareness Film Festival and received the festival’s "best director” jury Award. The film's New York premiere screening will be at the Paley Center of Media on Nov. 9. The documentary was also selected for the "International film Festival for Spirituality and Religion" in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Filmmakers Gerald and Adam Krell will appear on the panel following the screening, along with other film participants:

• Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic studies at American University. He has been called "the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam" by the BBC.
• Brahmachari Sharan, director for Hindu Life in Campus Ministry at Georgetown University, the first Hindu Monk to serve at a Catholic Institution.
• Rajwant Singh, former president of Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington. Singh also launched EcoSikh , the international Sikh community’s worldwide response to Climate Change.

Although Guru Nanak founded the fifth-largest religion in the world, Americans and the western world know little about him. This unique film coincides with the 550th anniversary of his birth. Considered a revolutionary activist, the guru’s ideas were well ahead of his time. Nanak espoused equality for all, gender empowerment, service to others and devotion to the environment.

The documentary interweaves his life and how his spiritual legacy is carried out today by Sikh leaders in science, medicine, arts and politics. In today’s world of stereotypes, nationalism, bullying and misconceptions Nanak’s message is relevant to people of all religions and races.

An eclectic range of participants in the documentary include among others: The first Hoboken Sikh Mayor Ravi Bhalla, 2019 Grammy Nominee Snatam Kaur and Dr. K .Singh Sahni who operated on Senator John McCain.