Finally, a question I’ve had since becoming a professional film critic has been answered. What would it be like if you combined MMA fighting and faith-based movies? That answer comes in the form of Garrett Batty’s feature film, The Carpenter.
Our story takes place in 29 AD. A young man, Oren (Kameron Krebs), is out in the middle of nowhere competing in an MMA battle with a crowd of wagering spectators. He is under the watchful eye of his brother Levi (Kaulin Krebs). After winning the battle, a Roman sentry suggests he should fight professionally in Nazareth.
When Oren and Levi get home, they find out their father has accidentally fallen off the roof and is dying. His last words to Oren and Levi is the take their mother to live in Nazareth to be near their uncle, Sharar (Daz Crawford). As luck would have it, Uncle Sharar runs the Nazareth Fighting Pit and after seeing Oren fight, he would be a perfect representative for Nazareth at the Jerusalem Invitational (I’m condensing the story a bit here).
“On his way home, Oren is chased by Roman guards…the owner, Yeshua…pays the debt Oren owes…”
On his way home, Oren is chased by Roman guards, causing quite a bit of damage to the Marketplace. When Oren attempts to hide in a stranger’s yard, the guards arrive, and the owner, Yeshua (Jeff Dickamore), pays the debt Oren owes for the damages. Here, Yeshua not only heals Oren’s black eye but also offers to mentor Oren in the ways of carpentry. That’s right. Yeshua is a carpenter.
As the film plays out, Oren gradually matures. He learns strategy and game theory while fighting in the pit and, at the same time, learns wisdom from Yeshua. Yeshua teaches Oren about carpentry, service, and love. Speaking of love, Oren gets a lot of advice about courting the fair Mira (Aurora Florence). At some point, tough choices must be made, including the decision between being a fighter and a family man.
"…life lessons can be learned in cage or ring fighting."
