DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED
In 1993, residents of the small town of Clear Lake, WI, fall victim to a strange and horrible disease. An influential local preacher blames the outbreak on the heresy and sins of some in the town. As loved ones sicken and die, the preacher’s fiery sermons cause a religious hysteria. As the residents of the town turn on each other, a group of high school students helps the preacher kidnap and kill accused heretics and sinners in a three-day spree. Fifteen years later, a documentary filmmaker convinces the students to return to the town, but when the filmmaker disappears and others turn up dead, it appears someone is still fighting the “Holy War.” (2008)
Shown in cooperation with Ragtag Cinemacafe.
Sponsored by the Center on Religion & the Professions
Jewish women, from different countries and backgrounds, found themselves deported to the notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, during the Holocaust. This film aims to chronicle that experience through those female eyes. While subject to the same physical hardships as men, the women do not dwell on that. Instead, they speak of camp families and faith, uplifting one another while trying to remain human. It was this path of spiritual resistance that, while not responsible for their direct survival, led to their ability to survive with healthy minds and spirits despite their surroundings. (2007)
This documentary offers an intimate look at the lives and work of three American women – a Buddhist, a Hindu, and a Muslim – for whom faith, activism, and identity are deeply intertwined. Shamita Das Dasgupta uses strong female figures in Hindu myth to provide encouragement to battered women to leave abusive husbands. Laila Al-Marayati illustrates how the Muslim principle of “zakat” served as the inspiration for the first free clinic in South Central Los Angeles. Mushim Ikeda-Nash integrates the experiences of women into the American Buddhist practice. The film offers insight into thought and action being created by women activists of various religious and cultural traditions in the United States. (2005)
Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality
Worlds Apart: A Series on Cross-Cultural Health Care
Through character-driven stories, the film explores recent research into the psychological and physical effects of forgiveness under a variety of conditions. It features stories about the Amish, the 9/11 tragedy and peace-building in Northern Ireland, as well as interviews with renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and best-selling authors Thomas Moore and Marianne Williamson. It also explores the role forgiveness holds in various faith traditions. The film provides an honest look at the intensity of anger and grief people experience and the transgressions for which people are unwilling or unable to forgive. It also shows the role forgiveness can play in alleviating anger and grief, and the physical, mental and spiritual benefits that come with it. (2008)