ART

Since we’ve been talking about social work, non-profit effectiveness, and education, I want to mention a related movie. I love documentaries because they highlight real problems using real people to tell their stories. However, some people don’t enjoy documentaries, and some don’t watch them.

So even though Waiting for Superman is an eye-opening documentary about the plight of education in urban settings in America today and the lack of equal opportunity to excellent education for every child, whether suburban, urban, or rural, there is another option—a fictional one. Check out the movie Won’t Back Down. It has a wonderful website with a toolkit to allow you to work on the issues once you’ve viewed the movie, spread the word, and work to change the system.

If you do like documentaries, you can watch the Waiting for Superman movie or just watch the trailer.

However if you like fictional ways of exploring such important issues and recognize the sometimes greater ability of fiction to tell a story and speak to people, check out the Won’t Back Down movie trailer and website. Go out and watch the movie if you can.

FEEL-GOOD ART

If I could receive a living stipend to go around town and create interactive projects that make people feel better, if even just that, I would do it. Here is the latest project I’ve seen from SoulPancake. It’s called Take a Seat– Make a Friend? Enjoy it!

If you get a chance, check out a movie called The People and the Olive.

This is not really feel-good art, but I was intrigued by the story. It's a nice, online, animated short film called OmbreMorte – Beneath the Shadow.


OMBRE MORTE - Beneath the Shadow from Nicolas Bonnell on Vimeo.

JESUS CAMP

I’m on a documentary binge, and I’m watching this documentary “Jesus Camp” which I mentioned last time. And my roommate is freaking out and saying negative things about Christians or those people in the film. And I have a church group coming to my house in 3 days; she’s repeating that they better not be like those people in the film. Ha ha! Don’t you love the tension.

I dated a girl once who introduced me to a friend of hers. This friend knew I was a Christian of sorts and the first thing she asked me was why I was a Christian. “I mean, when I think Christian I think judgmental, hypocritical, and self-righteous.” Man, what do you say to that? Aren’t you glad that the history of this religion of which I’m a part (of sorts) is filled with a tension, so that it’s not just known for the Crusades, witch hunts, slaveries and slave trades, wars, apartheid, Nazi movements, etc. but it’s also known for the abolition of slavery, the abolition of child labor (in many places around the world), St. Francis of Assisi, Jesus (pre-Christianity), liberation theology and Oscar Romero, redistributive principles, etc. That tension is palpable anywhere and everywhere and ever present in the religion of which I’m a part. To deny it is to cut off any chance for real dialogue for you’ve no where to start with someone different than you. Plus it probably means you have specks in your eyes. So daily, I wrestle with God (Israel) as what it means to be a Christian or Christ-follower in a world that feels hated by such and in a world that is loved by such (I won’t talk of proportions).


I have a very beautiful friend named Jeannie living in South Africa. She recently became more beautiful as she has worked to blossom more, care less about what others think of her, be embarrassed less, and just live and love. She asked me once if I was an “evangelical Christian.” The problem with the term is that there are a few meanings especially as you travel around the world, but yes. I know she probably took this to mean that I am trying to proselytize and convert people to a new religion but I didn’t bother explaining or correcting or challenging or conversing about it. I just said yes. The problem is if you try to convert me, I’m pretty resistant. I feel it when I talk with Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses (ok this isn’t true; I LOVE to dialogue with these people that share a similar book with me but originally when I was younger I didn’t look forward to it always). It’s the same way with Christian people trying to convert. I have tons of Pentecostal and charismatic Christian friends who talk about who they have reached hundreds for Christ themselves on the power of their prayer or through the power of reading the Bible or through the power of the Holy Spirit when they speak. I’ve never had that happen to me. In fact, the few people who have “become Christian” didn’t tell me when they decided to do it. For them, it was a gradual process. They told me I was a part of the influence that led them in that direction. And most of them never had deep conversations with me about it (meaning it wasn’t due to my words or some deep intellectual battle). They watched me, they interacted with me, they were loved by me. I guess people talk about the Word of God so much they forget that the Word of God isn’t real or formed until it is performed; otherwise it’s just words. Anyway, actions will speak louder than your words.

What I mean to say is that I’ve never seen people repulsed by Christians who follow Christ, they way I understand his words and teachings. That’s a different thing. People always seem to love those Christians, or people are unnerved by them and unsettled from constant hate or hurt.

MOVIES, BOOKS, ART

I always do movies, but I’m being lazy and not talking about other stuff.

I restarted on fiction this year after many years of rest from it. I’m back and I love it.

Books

After Many a Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley
A Single Man by Isherwood

A Single Man refers to the Huxley book, so I read that first and am still reading the second one. I saw the film first with Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. I won’t spoil it but to say that Huxley’s book is hugely intellectual and makes you think and question life and how this world works. It’s almost like reading a non-fiction book on philosophy at the same time you’re reading a Hollywood novel (set in LA). Isherwood is all about the senses and is deeply set in the emotions of the main character with as little dialogue as possible. Small words, big feelings. You might enjoy it.

Movies

Born into Brothels



Some of the images produced by these kids were phenomenal. I heard about this first in 2006 I think it was. But I haven’t watched it until now. A photographer travels to India and while there she works with kids who live and work in brothels (usually their mothers are prostitutes) and she gives them a camera to see the world through their eyes. Definitely watch it.

Jesus Camp



I talked about this earlier in this update. It’s about these summer Christian Evangelical camps (charismatic variety) and how they indoctrinate with political ideology as well about George Bush or abortion. It’s interesting and scary. I have a small group from my church that wants to meet at my house and my roommate was freaked out saying they better not be like that or else no. What’s interesting to me is that someone described the film as neutral. It’s possible it is, but I think the film spins a bad light on the people and that’s maybe because I’m sensitive to such things, but the Christian camp director and the people in the film weren’t able to see that their own actions or responses could be interpreted pretty badly so they fed into it. I wasn’t that freaked out by it as I’m used to that type of Christianity, but maybe they didn’t see anything negative because I’m a different type.

Art




I recently have been looking at some of the art by a photographer named Newbegin. She goes to developing countries (and developed countries) and takes pictures of buildings and rooms. I’m more of a people photographer but her work is rather interesting and improves throughout the years. See if you can find some interesting pictures on her site. Click the Portfolio link.


Katherine Newbegin