Films I loved, in order of “must-see”-ness:
1. The Devil Came On Horseback documents the crisis in Darfur through the eyes of Brian, an ex-Marine military observer for the African Union armed with only a camera, a pad of paper, and a pen. The documentary is a disturbing glimpse into what is happening in Sudan. Very disturbing. Please see it.
2. Darius Goes West – The Roll of His Life – is a documentary about an 17 year old guy with Muscular Dystrophy, who travels from his home in Athens, GA with a group of college students he met at a summer camp Project REACH. Their goal is to get his wheelchair pimped out on MTV’s Pimp My Ride. It is awesome – from Darius’ first view of the ocean to las vegas and the grand canyon and back. Lots of laughs in this one – and a good message too. Bonus points were given because Darius and the other cast members were present at the showing.
3. For The Bible Tells Me So tells the stories of five gay folks and how their Bible-believing conservative families react to the news. In doing so, the film also explores how the Christian right uses the Bible to condemn homosexuality, and explains why those Biblical passages are misunderstood. I cried multiple times during this film – it hit very close to home. I have never understood why my mom believes that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are applicable to today’s society, when she eats pork and cuts her hair and wears clothes made of two different types of material. And sometimes I think that my whole quest towards militant agnosticism was sparked by the incompatibility of the faith of my childhood and my sexuality.
There were some other films I enjoyed – but those are my top three. See them if you can.