A "crown of syringes" has replaced the traditional crown of thorns in a film released by the Church of England to mark Easter.

The film is a modern-day Passion Play and stars people who have fought drug addiction, crime and homelessness with the help of faith.

It is based on Psalm 22 and contains the lines, "My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" that were spoken by Jesus on the Cross.

The film is based on the addiction and recovery stories of people who have found help through The Saturday Gathering, a church in Halifax. Some of the stories are also featured on JustPray.uk.

The true-life stories include Emma, who at 24 feels she has something to live for for the first time in her life after a chaotic upbringing led her to drugs, alcohol and self-harming. "Her darkest time was last year when she lost a baby and she still suffers pangs of hopelessness now where she questions her faith and God, but without her faith, and the family she has found at the Saturday Gathering, she firmly believes she wouldn't be here," the Church said.

Another unlikely star is Rob, who lived on the streets since a young boy and has been in and out of reform homes. He became a drug addict and his older brother committed suicide. After walking into an open church he came to faith at the Saturday Gathering and has rebuilt his life, recently celebrating his 46th birthday with his mother at the church.

And there is also Brenda, who was heavily involved in the Wicca movement and who came to faith in Jesus after helping out at a night shelter run by local churches. She is now training to be a leader and has a vocation to the priesthood. 

Rev Arun Arora of the Church of England said: "This film is a testament to the triumph of faith and hope over struggle. From bereavement to addiction, from homelessness to imprisonment, Easter is a reminder that suffering doesn't have the last word and that love is more powerful than the grave. Each of the stories is a testimony to the fact that Love wins. As the Church across the globe celebrates Easter day we wanted to make a film that highlighted the stories of individuals who have come through suffering to the Easter joy of faith in Jesus.

"Our brief to the filmmaker was to reflect the doubt and forsakenness that life throws at you and to track the journey from grim reality and to bleed into the colour of joy. We are delighted with the result which reflects the journey into joy."