By Allie Light, Irving Saraf and Carol Monpere
From Oscar and Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Allie Light and Irving Saraf (Dialogues With Madwomen and In The Shadow of The Stars), in partnership with Carol Monpere, also an Emmy Award-winner, comes their latest film, The Sermons Of Sister Jane: Believing the Unbelievable. This documentary is an engaging portrait that sparkles with the courage, wit and humanity of Sister Jane Kelly, who combines her deep spiritual faith with her equally powerful commitment towards resistance and change.
When Sister Jane discovered that a priest in her church was molesting young men and stealing from the congregation, and when the evidence was ignored by the church, she contacted the press, creating a scandal. Throughout the film she shares her progressive views on issues such as birth control, homosexuality, and women priests. She impels the Catholic Church to return to egalitarian roots of community. The scenes filmed at Plowshares, an organization she created to feed and serve the poor and homeless, demonstrate Sister Jane's powerful ability to translate her faith into profoundly meaningful action. This touching documentary, skillfully produced by these acclaimed filmmakers, reveals Sister Jane's long struggle to speak out against what she believed was wrong, and how this ongoing battle ultimately has heart-breaking results.
Reviews
~ "Provocativeˇ Highly recommended for discussions on Catholicism, gender studies, religion and spirituality, and women's studies."- Educational Media Reviews Online
~ "Sister Jane tells it like it is. She represents the best that Catholicism has to offer, with no thanks to the male hierarchyˇHere is a feminist nun who lives the values of justice and equality. The film captures her spirit and spreads her convictions."- Mary E. Hunt, PhD, Co-director, Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual
~ "Likely to be very popular among church reform groups and others concerned with the Roman Catholic hierarchy's role in the sexual abuse of children and young people. The filmmakers are skilled and experienced. ˇdocuments the life of a heroic and single-minded American Catholic sister."- Marian Ronan, Equal wRites
~ " [An] engaging portrait of a woman of strong opinions and even stronger character. Recommended."- Video Librarian
Notes
~ Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival
~ Brattleboro Women's Film Festival
Awards
~ Booklist, Top 10 Religion Videos and DVDs: 2007
~ Tiburon Int'l Film Festival, Best Documentary
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