FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Infinity Entertainment Group & Smithsonian Networks Proudly Present
The Lost Gods
An Enlightening Journey Through Faith & Time
For Believers of all Faiths, on DVD Jan. 13th
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1, 2009 - Believers of all faiths will enjoy this enlightening journey through faith and time in Smithsonian Networks'
The Lost Gods, coming to DVD Jan. 13 from Infinity Entertainment Group.
Is there a God? It's an eternal question that all ancient civilizations have answered. Not with just one God, but with hundreds of them. Bringing them to life on earth, these civilizations fashioned their images in wood, paint and stone. And built spectacular holy shrines to house them.
So what happened to these Gods? Do powerful faiths just vanish? Can Gods die? Are these once sacred sites the final resting places for long-lost religions? And how can people who believed in so many deities for so long come to believe in just one and sweep the others to extinction?
To answer these questions, this program from Smithsonian Channel™ travels back thousands of years to the rise and fall of five ancient civilizations - the Egyptians, Greeks, Celts, Romans and Incas - to finally reveal the mysteries behind their ancient Gods. Filmed in 11 countries and hosted by Christy Kenneally, people of all devotions will be enlightened by this journey through faith and time.
EPISODES INCLUDE:
- The Egyptians: The ancient Egyptians were obsessed with divinity, death and the afterlife and reincarnation. Kenneally visits Saqqara, south of Cairo, where the Egyptians learned the technique of mummification and built the first pyramid, an early prototype for the grand monuments of the Giza pyramid complex. He journeys on to explore the ruins at Abydos, Karnak and Luxor, arriving finally at the island of Philae, the site of the last hieroglyphics and a little-known shrine to Egypt's lost Gods.
- The Greeks: Ancient Greece was the first major civilization to emerge in Europe. Its seat of power in Athens was crowned by the Acropolis, the famed city of the Gods. Kenneally explores the surviving remnants of this great civilization and its Gods, including the Parthenon, home to the goddess Athena and the most spectacular of the monuments of the Acropolis; Delphi, the "Vatican" of ancient Greece, where the god Apollo spoke through his Oracle; and the Greek colony of Paestum in southern Italy, site of a temple to Poseidon.
- The Romans: The spectacular rise and fall of the Roman Empire fascinates us to this day, as evidenced by the success of films like Gladiator and the HBO series Rome. The Romans took their Gods from the Etruscans, on the ruins of whose civilization they built their own. Kenneally visits the Forum, the epicenter of Roman religion, and the Pantheon, sanctuary of the Roman gods. In Caerleon in Wales, he reveals how the Romans carried their religion to the farthest reaches of the empire. And at Ephesus in Turkey, he traces the rise of the Christian deity that would ultimately overthrow the Roman gods.
- The Incas: The Incas worshiped both a creator God and the sun, moon and stars. Kenneally travels to the Peruvian Andes to explore the remnants of Incan civilization: the city of Pisac, which like all Incan cities was designed in the shape of a sacred animal; Cajamarca, where the Incan leader Atahualpa was murdered by the Spaniards; and the sacred mountaintop city of Machu Picchu.
- The Celts: The Celts believed in benign spirits and demonic forces, but made no churches or temples: nature itself was their cathedral. Kenneally visits ancient Celtic settlements in Austria, Italy and Greece. He explores the settlement of Castell Henllys in Wales, where the religion of the druids was broken by Roman military might. And at Newgrange, Ferrycarraig and Dun Aengus in Ireland, he reveals how the Celts came to adopt the Gods of those who had preceded them.
The Lost Gods is presented in letterbox with an aspect ratio of 4 x 3. Special features include subtitling for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Smithsonian Networks (SN), is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution. It was formed to create new channels to showcase scientific, cultural and historical programming based largely upon the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features original documentaries, short-subject explorations and innovative and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Visit Smithsonian Networks on the Internet at www.smithsonianchannel.com.
Infinity Entertainment Group, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., is a multi-service home entertainment retail distributor specializing in independent films, television programming, special-interest, documentaries, anime and music. Clients include Smithsonian Networks, MOJO HD, Falcon Picture Group, Bandai Entertainment, Roxbury Entertainment, SJ2 Entertainment and Retromedia. Hit titles include the iconic Route 66 television series, now available on DVD for the first time, and Spike Jones: The Legend. The company was launched in 2006 and is a division of Infinity Resources, Inc., a privately-held, multi-channel marketing and service enterprise with general offices based in suburban Chicago, Ill.
The Lost Gods
Infinity Entertainment Group
Genre: TV/Documentary
Format: DVD Only
Running Time: Approx. 3 Hours, 20 Minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $24.98
Street Date: January 13, 2009
