Washington, D.C. (December, 22nd) – On December 23rd, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)’s WORLD Channel will be airing a nationwide broadcast of Guru Nanak: Life & Legacy, the first English documentary on the founder of Sikhism during primetime in 97 cities across the United States. There will be more than 500 broadcasts of the documentary in over 100+ cities throughout the week.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is one of the least understood faith leaders in history despite creating one of the largest religions in the world. According to a study by the National Sikh Campaign, more than 95 percent of Americans have never heard of Guru Nanak. The documentary aims to educate viewers on Guru Nanak’s life and core teachings of gender equality, racial equality, and religious tolerance while also showing how his lessons are being applied by prominent and working class Sikhs in America.
The documentary features such prominent Sikh luminaries ranging from Grammy nominee, Snatam Kaur to the first turbaned Sikh mayor in the US, Mayor Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken New Jersey.
“The nationwide airing of this documentary is a historic moment for the Sikh American community since this is the largest broadcast of the founder of our faith, Guru Nanak, in the United States. It is incredibly exciting to have so many television stations airing this film and to provide people an easy opportunity to learn about our faith,” Shawn Singh Ghuman, co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign and We Are Sikhs – a leading effort to educate people on the Sikh faith and its followers. “With the support of PBS, we are bringing an unparalleled level of Sikh awareness to thousands of Americans who have never heard of Guru Nanak and his messages of equality, tolerance, woman’s empowerment, and community service.”
Since premiering on PBS in February 2019, over one million Americans have seen the film in 43 states across the country. Additionally, half of the film’s airings have been near or during primetime – which is commonly defined as 8-11 PM.
The documentary was photographed on locations throughout India, Pakistan, and the United States. The film was voted “Best Documentary” by the Religious News Association and given the Award of Excellence at the International Film Festival for Spirituality and Religion. It is the winner of the Garden State Film Festival’s “Best International Documentary” and “Best Cinematographer Award” and has been selected to be screened by the prestigious Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes.
Here is a list of cities that will be airing the film during prime time:
Albany, NY
Binghamton, NY
Birmingham, AL
Boston, MA
Burlington, MA
Charlottesville, VA
Champaign, IL
Chicago, IL
Chico-Redding, CA
Cleveland, OH
Columbus, OH
Dayton, OH
Detroit, MI
Eureka, CA
Fairbanks, AL
Fargo, ND
Flint-Saginaw, MI
Ft Myers-Napls, FL
Ft. Smith, AR
Grand Rapids, MI
Harrisonburg, VA
Houston, TX
Huntsville, AL
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Jonesboro, AR
Joplin, KS
Las Vegas, NV
Lincoln, NE
Little Rock, AR
Los Angeles, CA
Louisville, KY
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Minot, ND
Mobile, AL
Monroe, AR
Montgomery, AL
Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA
New York, NY
Norfolk, VA
Oklahoma City, OK
Omaha, NE
Paducah, KY
Peoria, IL
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, ME
Quincy, IL
Rapid City, SD
Richmond, VA
Rochester, NY
Sacramento, CA
Seattle, WA
Sioux City, IA
Sioux Falls, SD
Spokane, WA
Springfield, MA
Springfield, MO
St. Louis, MO
Tampa, FL
Terre Haute, IN
Topeka, KS
Tulsa, OK
Washington, D.C.
Watertown, NY
Wheeling, WV
To see what channel the film is airing in your city, visit: www.sikhcampaign.org/documentary
To learn more about the documentary and see the trailer, visit: www.GuruNanakFilm.com
The award-winning film is also available for rent worldwide on Vimeo on Demand.