FREEMASONS ON TRIAL - HDTV 2009

A grisly discovery is made at dawn on 18 June, 1982 when “God’s Banker” – a prominent Italian businessman with ties to the Vatican – is found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London. Originally ruled a suicide, the murder of Roberto Calvi casts a suspicious eye on the world’s most secret society: The Freemasons.

This fascinating documentary examines an organisation shrouded in mystery with secret handshakes, rituals and regulations, and its potential link to events like the Calvi murder. Rumours of a connection between the Freemasons and this murder do not represent the first time the organisation has been indicted by conspiracy theorists. Some speculators argue that the Freemasons have played a role in everything from the death of Pope John Paul I to the Jack the Ripper murders.

For the first time, Masonic temples around the world open their doors and provide exclusive coverage for our cameras. One Freemason lodge in Halifax, Canada even allows cameras to film a sacred Masonic ritual, which has taken place in Masonic temples since the early 1700s. Supplemented by interviews with prominent Freemasons across North America and Great Britain, as well as non-Freemason authors and Freemason experts, the special provides unparalleled access that sheds new light on the history and traditions of Freemasonry.

It also provides critical insight into the meaning behind some of the most common Freemason symbols and possible Freemason codes found in surprising places like a medieval Scottish church and even on the U.S. one dollar bill. While rumours abound about Freemasonry, we help discern the fact from fiction behind this enigmatic group with five million members worldwide.