Late last year, Mel Gibson and the other producers of “The Passion of the Christ” met with Jack Lenz in Los Angles. They wanted to communicate their appreciation for the hard work that he had put into the project and asked Lenz how they could return the favour. Jack Lenz replied that it had always been a lifelong dream of his to make an original motion picture about the martyrdom of Mona, a 17 year old Baha’i youth.
He the proceeded to tell Mel Gibson and his associates who were there, about Mona’s story; how she had been been taken away by Iranian authorities and interrogated; how she had been told that she would be, along with nine other women, summarily executed; how she had asked to be hung last so that she would be able to pray for the other women; how she had met her death with serenity and strength, never wavering in her faith.
Jack Lenz also showed them a letter that Mona had written herself. One of the producers at the meeting was moved to tears and asked Lenz, “What do you need?” Lenz said, jokingly, “Well, around $10 million ought to do it.”. To which came the reply, “Consider it done”.
Its being reported that Lenz has now finished a version of the screenplay and submitted it to the producers of “The Passion of the Christ”. It is now in their hands. Where it will go and when, if at all, this great story will be told is up to them. I am guardedly optimistic about this project. On the one hand, I know that Mel Gibson and company have oodles of money to throw around after the record shattering success of their movie. But on the other hand, Hollywood is notorious for being a black hole for such worthy projects.
I sincerely hope that sometime in the near future, the whole world will be able to learn about Mona’s story, and honor her courage and steadfastness.
Mona Mahmudnizhad (1965-1983)
