Tuesday, April 01, 2014

jun 2-13 | jesus in celluloid | regent college

I started looking at some Jesus films this Lent, so news of an upcoming Regent College film course catches my eye. Iwan Russell-Jones joined the faculty a couple years ago after a career as a film maker at BBC, so his perspective on the movies would be that of an artist and practitioner as much as a theologian / academic. Intriguing. I know that a couple films that interest him are the remarkable South African film SON OF MAN and THE MIRACLE MAKER, scripted by playwright Murray Watts. He's almost sure to tackle my favourite, Pasolini's THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW, and I know he has an appreciation of Mel Gibson's PASSION OF THE CHRIST, which he wrote about for Britain's irreverent Ship Of Fools. (The article doesn't seem to be accessible online, but here's a blog entry that references it.)  And hey, while I'm scanning through my Jesus Movies Of Note mental list, I wonder if he'll tackle Canada's own entry, JESUS OF MONTREAL.

angels

Jesus In Celluloid
Regent College | Iwan Russell-Jones
Jun 2-13 | M-F 1:15-3:45

Despite our so-called secular era, Jesus is an endlessly fascinating subject for artists, including filmmakers. The range and variety of Jesus films is extraordinary, including a growing number of non-western versions. Even the worst have flashes of insight and beauty; the best inspire deep reflection on the character at the heart of the Christian faith. Study some of the ways that Jesus has been depicted in film and how various portrayals converse with Scripture and Christian thought throughout the centuries.

pieta

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