His FOX television schedule prevented his planned appearance at ICRS this week, but Oliver North was still featured at the show-as part of a major new documentary film premiered last night.

North appears in The Samaritan, the miraculous story of a Texas attorney's fight to help a Romanian defector, which will also be a book by the same name he is to edit for B&H Publishing Group's new Fidelis Books imprint.

Made by Banias Entertainment, The Samaritan combines present-day interviews, archival footage and reenactments to recall Eddie Roush's efforts on behalf of Paul Firica. Roush lobbied in U.S. government circles and traveled to Romania while it was still under the control of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu to secure freedom for Firica and see him reunited with his family.

Though the remarkable events happened in the 1980s, they still speak today about "freedom and sacrifice," and challenge Christians about what lengths they might go to in helping others, said Randy Roush, brother of the subject and a producer of the film.

The movie is due to be released first in Romania, later in the year and in time-for the 20th anniversary of the peaceful revolution that overthrew Ceausescu. It is due to be released in the U.S. next year, with the book adaptation likely to be published in March 2010.

Gary Terashita, executive editor of Fidelis Books, said The Samaritan would include photos from the film and additional archival materials. The story was about "man's innate desire for freedom" and "a call to action."