Suspected for centuries of plotting to overtake the world, accused of fomenting revolution, and reviled as devil worshippers that stole King Solomon's treasure, the Freemasons claim they're merely a civic-minded fraternity, bound together by harmless rituals. Which is closer to the truth? This high-energy cocktail of dramatic reenactment, expert interviews, and location footage features historians Akram Elias, Stephen Bullock, and Brent Morris. They retell the Freemasons' central myth, which stars Hiram Abiff, mythical builder of Jerusalem's Temple of Solomon. During construction, Hiram was killed by three workers who believed his "secret" would impart magical powers - representing the three evils against which Freemasons believe they're still struggling: ignorance, fanaticism, and tyranny. Today, the world's 2.5 million Freemasons meet to reenact the ritual of Hiram's murder as the initiation ceremony for the main rank of Master Mason.

Starring:

Alec McCowen, Anita Zagaria, Anna Korwin, Bob Goody, David Belcher, David O'Hara, Fiona Shaw, Gary Mavers, Guido Adorni, Kathryn Hunter, Marcello Magni, Michael Mellinger, Nancy Nevinson, Nicholas Woodeson, Ray Marioni, Rudi Davies, Seeta Indrani, Sophie Okonedo, Yolanda Vazquez

Genre:

Comedy, Documentary