Ethiopia and USA / 2011 / 33mins / Documentary / English and Amharic

In this documentary about the history and contemporary worship of the Ark of the Covenant, Axel Baumann examines the disappearance of the Ark from Israel and its reemergence in Ethiopia, and witnesses the “Dance of King David”—an ancient rite still performed by Jews and Ethiopians alike.

Axel Baumann

Axel Baumann is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and director who lives in New York City. In 2005, Axel received his first Emmy nomination for Liberia: An Uncivil War, directed by Jonathan Stack and broadcast on Discovery/Times. In 2008, Axel was awarded an Emmy for Carrier, a 10-part series for PBS on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, produced by Icon Films and directed by Maro Chermayeff. Axel’s filmography as a cinematographer also includes Herb and Dorothy, an audience award winner at Silverdocs released by Arthouse Films, as well as a biography on Thomas Jefferson for the History Channel, and War against War, a film on UN Peacekeeping directed by Oscar winner Fisher Stevens. In 2011, Axel Baumann directed The Dance of King David, a film based on a dance King David performed in front of the Ark over 3000 years ago and which is still practiced today during the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah and the festival of Timkat in Ethiopia. Recent credits include Mission Blue (Netflix) directed by Fisher Stevens, (PBS) directed by Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre, and Pavarotti, directed by Ron Howard. Learn More