
- Country: Italy
- Genres: Drama
- Release: 2001-04-29
- Director: Raffaele Mertes , Elisabetta Marchetti
- Writers: Gareth Jones , Gianmario Pagano
- Language: Italian
- Stars: Tobias Moretti , Stefania Rivi , Massimo Reale , Ennio Fantastichini
- Runtime: 90 min
- Awards: N/A
- AKA: Gli amici di Gesù - Giuseppe di Nazareth , Close to Jesus (United States of America) , The Friends of Jesus - Joseph of Nazareth , Gli amici di Gesù - Giuseppe di Nazareth (Italy) , José, o Pai de Jesus (Brazil) , Názáreti József (Hungary) , Amigos de Jesús: José de Nazaret (Spain) , I zoi tou Iosif (Greece) , The Bible: Joseph of Nazareth (Australia) , Iosif (Greece) , Joseph of Nazareth (United States of America) , Jesus-Legenden: Joseph von Nazareth (Austria) , Konta sto Hristo: Iosif (Greece)
- Plot: The people of Jerusalem are suffering under the reign of HEROD, and are hoping to be delivered from the Roman occupiers by the Messiah # whose arrival, it is rumored, is to take place very soon. Unlike his nephew JUDAS, who wants to join the zealots (freedom fighters), the 35-year-old widower JOSEPH is not interested in participating in any fighting against the Romans. He is well aware that such an uprising would be pointless, and Judas's death shortly afterwards confirms this. The other men in the village have to hide, and Joseph gets a visit from JOACHIM and ANNA, asking him to marry their unprotected 14-year-old daughter MARY. Joseph agrees, but promises to preserve her chastity. Nevertheless, one day Mary tells him, in Anna's presence, that she is pregnant. Believing in this immaculate conception is very difficult for Joseph, as is the message that her son JESUS will end the reign of Herod, which is announced to him in a vision. Their son is born in a Bethlehem cattle shed and heralded as the new Messiah by the Three Magi. King Herod also finds out about the rumor, and decides to kill all of Bethlehem's firstborn. Joseph and Mary escape to Egypt. It is only after the death of Herod # when Jesus is eleven years old # that Joseph and Mary return to Nazareth. The parents' relationship to their child is placed under strain by Jesus's insistence on recognizing God as his father, rather than Joseph. It is only on his deathbed that Joseph professes his faith in his son, whose divine nature he has now recognized, and asks him forgiveness.
- IMDB:tt0229412
Joseph of Nazareth Cast · · · ALL

Raffaele Mertes
Director

Elisabetta Marchetti
Director

Tobias Moretti
Joseph

Stefania Rivi
Maria

Ennio Fantastichini
Herodes

Ida Di Benedetto
Elizabeth

Imma Piro

Franco Interlenghi
Omar Lahlou
Judas

Andrea Prodan
Herodes Antipas

Massimo Reale

Mattia Sbragia

Renato Scarpa
Gabriele Tozzi