"Faith and Film" Series 2023

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 “Faith and Film 2023” Series Overview
Movies are dreams that you never forget, says filmmaker Steven Spielberg.  They can help us see who we are, where we come from, and what we are to do.  They may even reveal something about God.  In our Faith and Film series for June, we will consider the significance of several Oscar-nominated films for 2023, including The Fabelmans, Women Talking, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.  Trinity Wilmette members voted for the movies, and the titles receiving the most votes are included in our series.  Our Faith and Film series invites us to reflect on our search for meaning and struggle for dignity.

 

June 4
THE FABELMANS: Young Sam Fabelman learns how to see and interpret life through the lens of a camera.  In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus gives sight to a blind man, and it changes his perspective.  The lens of faith helps us see ourselves and the world as God sees us.   What movie taught you something about yourself?

June 11
WOMEN TALKING:  The women of an isolated religious community must decide how to respond to a brutal reality, whether to do nothing, stay and fight, or leave.  In Esther 1:1-3, 9-12, 16-19, Queen Vashti loses her place in the royal family when she defies King Ahasuerus’ drunken abuse.  Like Vashti and the women talking, we can dare to imagine a society where we feel safe and empowered.  When have you stood up for yourself?

June 19
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: Evelyn is on a heroic journey, desperately seeking something bigger than herself.  Have you been there?  Have you ever been faced with finding meaning and purpose in a world that seems to lack meaning and purpose?  In Matthew 7:7-12, we are reminded that God wants to give us what we seek and give it to us in abundance.  When have you felt the abundance of God?

June 25
PINOCCHIO: Guillermo del Toro presents a journey of self-actualization in which Pinocchio declares: “I’m a real boy.”  He helps others to believe what he already knows about himself.  God faithfully journeys alongside us, even if that means wrestling with us.  In Genesis 32:22-32, Jacob is transformed by an all-night tussle with God.  God empowers us to transcend boundaries, labels, and mislabels.  When have you wrestled with God?

 

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