NEW YORK, NY — Fifty-five years after a reported religious phenomenon captivated residents of the Bronx, the story is coming to New York City television.
The Sight Unseen, a hybrid documentary-drama exploring the reported 1971 appearance of a glowing Christian cross in the Bronx, will make its first television broadcast for the general public on MNN Lifestyle on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET.
Presented by Harlem Film House and produced by Perspexsion, the film examines the phenomenon through the lenses of religion, faith, spirituality, eyewitness testimony, family memory, and historical documentation. Its New York City television debut brings the story back to the region where it originated and connects a deeply personal family account with a larger piece of Bronx religious and cultural history.
Writer and director Shawn Antoine II first learned about the story in 2016, when his great-aunt shared her memories with him during a hospital visit. His mother, Sharon Wilson-Antoine, was just six years old when the cross reportedly appeared. Years later, while conducting research at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Antoine discovered a photograph of his mother, grandmother, and aunt that had appeared in The Amsterdam News as part of journalist Melvin Tapley’s reporting on the phenomenon. That discovery helped transform a family story passed down through generations into the foundation for The Sight Unseen.
The production itself became a community effort. More than 300 supporters from across the United States contributed $25,000 in one month to help bring the New York City-based project to life. Local businesses donated food and production space, while more than 60 members of the Harlem community were employed as cast and crew.
The result is a film that combines documentary investigation and dramatic storytelling while exploring questions of belief, memory, history, and what happens when extraordinary experiences become part of a family’s legacy.
Production Credits include: Director: Shawn Antoine II, Writer: Shawn Antoine II, Producers: Shawn Antoine II, Korstiaan Vandiver, Sultan Ali Jr., Timothy Mendonca and Sharon Wilson-Antoine, Executive Producers: Shawn Antoine II, Sharon Wilson-Antoine, CR Capers and Sir Shefik Macauley, and Directors of Photography: Marshall Wayne Cooper and David Williams
Where to Watch
MNN Lifestyle
Sunday, October 25, 2026 — 7 p.m. ET
Encore: Thursday, October 29, 2026 — 9 p.m. ET
Manhattan cable viewers can watch on:
- FiOS Channel 34
- RCN Channel 83
- Spectrum Channels 56 and 1996
The broadcast will also be available via livestream through MNN Lifestyle.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/99x-cX_sSN4
Livestream: https://www.mnn.org/channels/mnn-lifestyle
About Harlem Film House: Harlem Film House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Harlem, New York, whose mission is “Change the Narrative.” The organization supports independent filmmakers through exhibition, education, professional development, and distribution.
About MNN: Founded in 1992, Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) is Manhattan’s free cable network, serving approximately 500,000 cable subscribers. MNN operates facilities in Hudson Yards and Harlem and provides programming created by and for New York City communities.
