January 8, 2003
Religion subject of film festival
Unitarian Congregation offers fourth annual film program all this month
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
If you show it, they will analyze.
Members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation kicked off their fourth annual film festival Saturday evening with a showing of "Field of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner. Film Festival 2003 will feature four more movies over the next four Saturdays, each followed by a discussion session. Members of the public are welcome to attend both the films and the discussion.
Last Saturday, with snacks of Crackerjack during intermission, the crowd of 40 attendees enjoyed the movie's uplifting message of faith and redemption. After the movie, attendees dissected the message and analyzed the meaning of the events and characters.
They discussed metaphors, grappled with literary questions and evaluated the therapeutic elements of the characters' coming to terms with their past and realizing their dreams. The group also analyzed Hollywood's attitude toward religion and religious subjects as well as what the movie said about the human condition and American culture.
"Is it sentimental silliness or a real literary film," asked discussion moderator Mark Gustafson, one of the film festival's organizers and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation since 1991. "The film asks what is out there and wouldn't it be fun to know? The film has a great yearning to find out."
Gustafson said that events such as the film festival are right up the alley of people in his church.
"We are a congregation of people who like to discuss, think and read," he noted. "This provides an opportunity for us to discuss ideas."
Gustafson hosted this week's movie and helped pick the theme for Film Festival 2003, which is religion in the movies. Previous years' themes were classical directors, film noir and films about food.
Gustafson discovered a book entitled "God in the Movies" last year and had a chance to meet one of the authors, Rev. Andrew Greeley, while on a trip to Tucson. This meeting sparked his interest in exploring these ideas further, especially with his fellow congregants.
"Once you try to apply rational answers to religious questions, then you are stuck, because there are not rational answers," Gustafson said. "It is human nature to be curious."
A committee of five couples selected the films. This committee meets in advance to screen possibilities and, after choosing the roster, decide what order to show them. This year the committee sandwiched heavy, dark films among more lighthearted fare.
H.G. and L.E. Smith are hosting next week's film, "Breaking the Waves." Both film buffs, they attend the Toronto Film Festival every year and also are involved in the Bay Theater in Suttons Bay. They are enthusiastic supporters of the Unitarian Universalist Film Festival every year, embracing the splash of culture it provides.
"It is wonderful especially in this area to have such a diverse offering of films," said L.E. Smith.
During the festival, each couple hosts one film, arranges for snacks and facilitates the discussion afterward.
All movies are open to the public and begin at 7 p.m.; an offering of $3 is suggested per movie. Upcoming movies in Film Festival 2003 are:
- January 11: "Breaking the Waves"
- January 18: "Defending Your Life"
- January 25: "Inherit the Wind"
- February 1: "Touch"