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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Some filmmakers get their inspiration from a childhood memory or, perhaps, a work of literature.
Daniel Lusko said the idea for his movie "Persecuted" came from the Holy Spirit.
We caught up with him at the faith-based media summit and asked him what he hopes audiences will take away from the movie.
“Freedom is fragile and costly and must be defended by work and by faith,” Lusko said.
James Remar portrays popular evangelist John Luther in the film, who is targeted by powerful Washington interests for his refusal to support their legislation.
Despite the move’s ripped-from-the-headlines feel, Lusko insists there's no agenda beyond his desire to preserve freedom of conscience.
“I hope people walk out of the movie, “Persecuted,” asking themselves the question, ‘what would I do if I faced losing everything for standing up for what I believe,’ ” he said.
Lusko wrote, produced and directed the film he hopes will go beyond the stereotypical Christian movie.
“I have a dream to unite the traditions of faith with one voice,” he said.
Actor and comedian Brad Stine plays Luther's right-hand man in the movie.
“It has faith elements, but if you went there without any sense of a faith perspective you'll be entranced by the action, by the drama,” he said.
The film tackles issues surrounding censorship and government intrusion.
We do in fact have bigotry in Hollywood toward people of faith or people of conservative bent. There is an actual real-life persecution.
–Brad Stine, actor/comedian
“It means a lot to me as a comic who lifts up God and country and tears down political correctness,” Stine said. “That's been my career.”
Dubbed "God's comic" by New Yorker magazine, Stine has never shied away from the beliefs he believes Hollywood often targets.
“We do in fact have bigotry in Hollywood toward people of faith or people of conservative bent,” he said. “There is an actual real- life persecution.”
Without the success of other, high-profile faith-based films, “Persecuted” probably wouldn't have gotten this far.
“The market of movies that deal with faith subjects is kind of re-evaluating what is faith-based,” Lusko said.
Lusko says in the six years since he started developing "Persecuted," the attitudes of distributors changed and became more open to a smaller film with moral themes and grittier subject matter.
“Persecuted” hit theaters Friday.
