Frideswide's Gift

Documentary by: Atulya Saxena, Punam Behl, Mairead Albiston and Janet Smart
Course by: John Hunt

The documentary visits the grounds graced by St. Frideswide during her years of service to the area of Oxford and Binsey.  Saint Frideswide was a celibate English princess and abbess who is credited with establishing Christ Church in Oxford. Frideswide was born to Didanus (an Anglo-Saxon king) and his wife Safrida around AD 650. Algar a Mercian king, tried to court her. When Frideswide refused him, Algar tried to pursued her, but she hid in a nearby forest to escape him. Algar continued his advances until he lost his vision. According to tradition, Frideswide felt compassion for Algar and while in Binsey prayed to St Margaret of Antioch and St Catherine of Alexandria, who instructed her to hit the ground with her abbess's staff. Once Frideswide did this, the ground gave way to reveal a well, whose water she used to cure Algar's blindness.

PREMIER

Sunday 19th October, 7.30pm 
The Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Road
Oxford
SOLD OUT

At the OxDoc International Film Festival

OXDOC 2009 - Documenting the Real World
21st to the 29th of April, 2009
Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford
Tuesday 21^st April 7.50pm
SOLD OUT

Link to Frideswide’s Gift at OxDoc