Many took notice when the Coptic Church and the Catholic Church officially beatified 21 men for their willingness to be martyred for their faith. Many others still remember this terrible crime in 2015 as a political act that ISIS carried out, a terrorist group that some say is funded by the US government. But what we will remember are not the politically controversial theories, but instead the depiction of this event made with such incredible respect & care by director Tod Polson in the short animated film, The 21.
Here is the trailer for The 21.
Made with the blessing of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Tod Polson, who had worked for Ireland's Cartoon Saloon which produced great films such as The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, eventually decided to leave and produce his own work. He had also worked on projects such as The Book of Life and others, but then later going his own way, as he states, "for faith reasons."
His own projects since then have included short animations such as The Prodigal from 2018, and now this project The 21, which took him five years to make. Both are far more in line with his religious faith, as you can see by his interview with the 700 Club, below.
It was later learned that this deeply impactful film became executive produced by Jonathan Roumie, likely as an investor. It is the kind of film we need more of, simply because it presents the truth of the world as it is, a world who hates Christ and persecutes Him, often as brutally as possible.
The making of the film has, according to Tod Polson, also contributed to one of the people involved in the murders to turn to God, and considering the outpouring of support from the Coptic Christian community and other Christian communities, I trust that this film has impacted them as well.
These kinds of events are a return to 1st century church living, and if we know anything about that history we will be able to trust that this persecution and trouble will lead to a worldwide spread of the gospel and many conversions. The deaths of these twenty-one will likely lead to hundreds or even thousands of conversions due to the rock-solid faithfulness of these men of God, turned martyrs.
Go to the21film.com for more information.

The 21 has now been released online after their festival run.
And now, here is the direct link to the film itself.
This film has also exposed me to other faithful workers, who are bringing good quality entertainment to the public, such as Producer Mandi Hart's Phantastes graphic novel, published by her Cave Pictures Publishing Co, along with MORE Productions' El Tonto De Cristo a B&W arthouse film made with the assistance of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Texas.
This kind of suffering can bless many more.
Here is a story on her Phantastes graphic novel, based upon a story by George Macdonald, which inspired CS Lewis to write before he was even a Christian author. He described the story Phantastes as "baptizing his imagination."
We hope that many more will be blessed and will be exposed to the truth, by allowing God to speak to them through these events. May we support and bless others through our work as well.
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Did you enjoy this story about a short film The 21, which memorializes and witnesses about the message of the 21 martyrs, killed by ISIS in Libya in 2015? What do you think about the other works that people like Tod Polson and still others can create in order to bless others, despite suffering? Let us know down below (with sub) or on our social media!
Jonathan Roumie Signed Onto Tod Polson's 'The 21' About The 21 Coptic Martyrs https://t.co/fckZzoMgbr
— Media Moses (@themediamoses) March 26, 2025