c. 2008 Religion News Service

PARK CITY, Utah _ I’m writing from Sundance 2008, and opening night illustrates why some religious folks hate this film festival while others love it.

The “combatants,” Christians who bemoan the deterioration of American civilization as reflected in today’s films, will be disgusted that Sundance opened with the dark comedy “In Bruges.”

It tells the suspenseful, twisted tale of two London hit men ordered to take a forced vacation in Bruges, Belgium, and how their subsequent time in exile goes awry.

Geoffrey Gilmore, the director of the Sundance Festival said, “In many ways, `In Bruges’ is a quintessential Sundance film _ it’s brutal, philosophical, funny, and totally original … .”

“It’s about killing people,” he added, “but it’s funny.”

The idea that killing can be an entertaining or funny proposition goes to the heart of what many religious people find appalling about today’s media, which they see as desensitized to the violence permeating our nation. These Christians often think Sundance is the enemy and usually aren’t a presence here.

The “communicators,” meanwhile, are Christians who invest considerable time in film because it functions as a powerful preacher and teacher in today’s society.

They agree with Phyllis Tickle, formerly the religion editor of Publishers Weekly, who once said, “More theology is conveyed in, and probably retained from, one hour of popular television than from all the sermons that are also delivered on any given weekend in America’s synagogues, churches and mosques.”

For those who see film as a useful listening post, Robert Redford offered a rationale for why our violent society produces “dark comedies” about violence.

“It’s a reflection of our time,” he said. “I think you’ll see more humor in films in general this year, even if it’s dark humor, because how long can you sit here and be frustrated and despairing that you can’t do anything about it? The world is so insane right now, it’s so dark and crazy … the stories seem to be a way for filmmakers to get a grip on what they can do about things. It’s a form of survival.”

The Windrider Forum, now in it’s fourth year, is a gathering of young theologians and filmmakers who watch Sundance films specifically because they want to become more adept at understanding and interpreting film. They dialogue with independent filmmakers who welcome the opportunities to discuss the central themes of their movies.

Because two-thirds of independent films will never be seen on the big screen, these filmmakers have usually taken immense personal risks in making their movie _ mortgaging their homes, borrowing money, working on the film without pay _ all with little hope of regaining their investment.

Why do it?

Martin Luther King Jr. put it this way: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” These indie filmmakers have seen aspects of the human condition they want others to see and they have something to say about it.

Jesus demonstrated that sharing good news starts with understanding the audience. His followers know communication starts with listening, and Sundance is a good place to start.

Finally, there are the “creatives,” who are Christians _ especially younger Christians _ who are not content to criticize or communicate about the work of other artists; instead, they want to create the art.

Some creatives aspire to transform from within the commercialized world of Hollywood, with its entertainment, amusement and celebrity-oriented superficiality.

Others believe a renaissance will not happen without a radical break from Hollywood. They seek the camaraderie of like-minded craftsmen whose commitment is to developing important, illuminating stories and telling them well. They’re looking for ways to distribute their work outside the traditional corporate Hollywood system.

Redford opened this year’s Sundance festival with hopeful words for these visionaries. “Art is the language of the soul,” he said, “and the true artist is an agent of change.”

Combatants, communicators, creatives _ one suspects Jesus would have something to say to each of them, because by his example, he showed his followers that to obey him means to enter the world as a loving, transforming presence.

This week, Sundance is the world they are called to enter in ways that reflect both truth and love.

(Dick Staub is the author of “The Culturally Savvy Christian” and the host of The Kindlings Muse (http://www.thekindlings.com). His blog can be read at http://www.dickstaub.com)

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