Concordia University Wisconsin to Host Screening of 'The First Rosa' and Discussion with the Film's Director

Concordia University Wisconsin is pleased to welcome noted film producer Rev. Dr. Ardon Albrecht to campus on Friday, Feb. 26, as part of a special screening event of his final film, “The First Rosa.”

The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Todd Wehr Auditorium. Concordia faculty, staff, and students, as well as area church congregations, are invited to attend.

“The First Rosa,” an LCMS-produced documentary, chronicles the mission work of Lutheran educator and church planter Rosa J. Young. Young, who lived during the early 1900s, had a passion for helping others, educating children, and sharing the Gospel. She accomplished extraordinary things for her community and the kingdom of God, including founding and promoting 30 Lutheran elementary schools and 35 Lutheran congregations in Alabama’s “Black Belt.”

The approximately 40-minute film will be followed by a talkback, led by Albrecht, who helped write, direct, and produce the film. Light refreshments will be served at the program’s conclusion.

Albrecht’s prestigious career in film began in 1971. After graduating from Concordia College, Milwaukee, in 1956, he went on to attend Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He and his wife, Edith, served for a period as missionaries in Taiwan until The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod called him to serve as television producer for perhaps his most well-known work, the weekly, half-hour, dramatic series “This is the Life,” which presented every day, contemporary problems in a Christian light.

In 1973, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded an Emmy – the highest award bestowed by the TV industry – to one of his “This is the Life” episodes. It was the first Emmy ever given to a religious program.

In all, Albrecht’s productions have won eight national Emmys and numerous other awards.

“The First Rosa” is Albrecht’s self-declared final work. Read more about his role with the film here.

For more information on the CUW screening event, contact Kali Thiel, director of university communications, at 262-243-2149. Learn more about “The First Rosa” at www.lcms.org/thefirstrosa.