The Annunciation

The Annunciation: the event depicted in the Christian Bible (Luke 1:26​-38), where the Virgin Mary is told by the angel Gabriel that she will give birth to the Son of God. This short film explores how this event, so central to the Christian religion, and so especially popular as a subject for artistic expression during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, has been discussed and depicted in modern literature and art. The event and motif of the Annunciation evokes a series of questions – not only religious questions about the nature of truth, the possibility of the miraculous, and the reality of a creator God, but also questions important to contemporary society around gender roles, the way that women's bodies are perceived and valued, the difficulty and drama of keeping secrets from those you love, and even the issue of consent within relationships. Researcher: Dr Ruth Jackson Ravenscroft Creative: Riitta Hakkarainen Music: Dom Bouffard Voiceover: Heather MacInnes