Posts tagged ‘Film’

Jul 29

Watching Movies Well: an interview with Sophie Lister, part 2

It’s a bit of a dream job, really: Sophie Lister gets paid to watch movies. Heaps of them. Sophie (right) works for the Damaris Trust, creating reviews, discussion guides and podcasts which appear on Culturewatch for ‘exploring the message behind the media’.

Sophie’s articles are a fantastic model of Christian thinking, and I regularly recommend Culturewatch as an outstanding online resource. In this two-part interview, I’ve asked Sophie to reflect on her creative work, along with her perspective on watching movies and understanding culture.

Following part 1, I’ve asked Sophie to talk more about culture and how Christians relate to it.

If you’ve got further questions, Sophie and I will respond in the comments below. Read more

Jul 27

Watching Movies Well: an interview with Sophie Lister, part 1

You’ll find occasional movie reviews on this blog as we do our best to engage with the visual storytelling of our culture. But this time, let’s talk with a pro: Sophie Lister, who writes about film on a weekly basis. Sophie (right) works for the Damaris Trust, creating reviews, discussion guides and podcasts which appear on Culturewatch for ‘exploring the message behind the media’.

Sophie’s articles are a fantastic model of Christian thinking, and I regularly recommend Culturewatch as an outstanding online resource. In this two-part interview, I’ve asked Sophie to reflect on her creative work and her perspective on watching movies and understanding culture.

To start with, let’s meet Sophie and hear what it’s like to work as a writer. Let’s continue talking in the comments, too: What grabs you about the movies? What do you do with the stories you find there? Read more

Jul 3

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Brave: Film Review

Against the backdrop of the medieval Scottish highlands, Brave presents wild-haired, free-spirited Merida. She is Pixar’s first female protagonist and, perhaps more significantly, Disney’s first heroine without a romantic connection by the end of the film. In our world where little girls’ futures are often reduced to finding the right man, Brave offers an alternative. The focus is on Merida’s relationship with her family and finding her place in her community. Read more

Jun 12

Deborah Mailman as Bonita and Jimi Bani as Eddie Mabo in Mabo on ABC1

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Mabo and the Great Advocate

For many of us Australians, to say ‘It’s Mabo, it’s the vibe’ may be more famous than the Mabo native title fight itself. To be educated about such an historic moment for Australia is one reason it’s worth catching Rachel Perkins’ drama about Eddie Mabo which screened on ABC this week. It’s up on iView for about the next fortnight.

I remember the Mabo case from when I was in primary school. I was outraged at the idea that Australia was ‘empty’ before the arrival of Europeans. But, to be quite frank, I was also incredibly bored hearing about the case from week to week on BTN. One of the reasons Perkins’ film is so important is because it highlights the drama in what was essentially a long, drawn-out process. Read more

Jan 15

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30 movies in 30 days

Here’s a bunch of movies I’ve seen during the 2011-12 Adelaide summer. I enjoy stories that fiddle with my horizons, whether or not they entirely succeed! That includes “war-horror” films… Read more

Dec 21

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A social network Christmas?

A couple of Christmas videos have just been doing the rounds on Facebook, cashing in on the spread of social media and connectivity. A friend was wondering which one he should use at his church this Christmas. Here are a few reflections. Read more