Films Available for Use with Classes (rak 11 ja 93; update 20jl94) Sources and Codes: RS = Religious Studies Department, UPenn VLC = Video Library Catalog (commercial) for most MEC = Middle East Center, UPenn MMETS= MultiMedia Educational Technology Service, UPenn IM = Insight Media Catalog CBD = Christian Book Distributors Catalog AC = Annenberg/CPB Collection [see item 1 below] PBS = Signals [Public TV Catalog] = Classical World [late 1993] includes a reasonably full list (though it is billed as a "supplement") of AV course materials for the classics and Middle East. Michael Satlow (Jewish Theological Seminary) ----- General, Jewish/Christian/Muslim The Power of Myth (1984? 6x60m) [PBS] [Joseph Cambell with Bill Moyers] The Western Tradition Series [Annenberg/CPB Collection] (1989 52x30m) Especially appropriate items mentioned below; basically a lecture series by Eugen Weber (UCLA), with various still pictures of artifacts, paintings, maps, etc., interspersed. Useful. A Common Ground (19?? 20m) [MEC] {reviewed 26 Jan 1993} product of American Institute for Islamic Affairs respectable advisors (K. Cragg, Rabbi E. Lipman, etc.) broad historical overview (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Islam) use of art stills, books and pages, etc. ideas of roots, revelation, monotheism, creed/affirmation, practices (leadership, iconography, religious space, ethics and social concerns), eschatology (judgment) focus on Jerusalem in past and future On the whole, tastefully done if also clearly Islamic in primary orientation. Useful at an introductory level. A few maps, not easy to read; little topography or landscapes. Main vehicle is spoken narration in British accent. Sects and Violence: Fragmentation within Religions (1984 28m) [MEC] (narrated by R. Bulliet, Columbia) Starts with Shiite/Sunni conflicts in Iran-Iraq, then to Leabanon (Sunni - Shia - Druze - Maronite Christian), then briefly the Alawis in Syria, finally Judaism in Jerusalem (Ashkenazi, Sephardic, secular), with only detail focus on a bar mitzvah! Less than 10 min. Well done for what it does. Most useful for inner Islamic tensions and for aspects of Syro-palestinian problems. Not particularly balanced, and very sketchy on Judaism issues. Jerusalem [Nat Geogr] (1986 60m) National Geographic [RS] Overview, then focus on traditional Yemenite Jewish wedding, Muslim funeral & commemoration, Armenian Christian survival, Jewish homeowner excavating his basement, Islamic shopkeeper, Armenian photographer. Very well done, pictorially. A bit overly concerned with Armenian historical complaints at one point; needs to be cut by about 10 minutes to fit the class period. Jerusalem Series [Boston University] (198? 60m each ?) [MEC] Four videos that focus on Jerusalem from a mainly archaeological perspective (1) in general and (2)-(4) in terms of each of the three religious traditions, Judaism-Christianity-Islam. Narrated by James Purvis. Some inevitable overlap between videos. Judaism: The Chosen People (1978 52m) [IM = BBC Long Search] Judaism: The Religion of a People (19?? 25m) [RS] [Brown Publishing, Dubuque IA 52001] According to the blurb and "Lesson Guide" that came with the video, the following topics are touched on: Torah - scriptures; Christianity & Islam as rooted in Judaism; the 4 cornerstones of Judaism (Torah, the Land, the People, Love of God); Jewish worship; tragedies (e.g. holocaust); State of Israel; rituals & festivals; women in Judaism; Bar/Bath Mitzvah. In general, it is a rather simplistic and unstimulating script, with short interview sections from two Rabbis and various clips of places and real people in action. Very short on history and breadth -- Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism on one end, and aspects of Reform on the other. Perhaps useful in balance with a more historical presentation, at an introductory level needing some explication as well. Heritage: The Civilization of the Jews (Abba Eban) The Gossamer Thread [Jewish Tradition] (19?? 56m) [RS][IM] [Purchased from Alden Films, Box 449 Clarksburg NJ 09510] Two parts about 30m each. Focus on Torah as the "thread" with a fairly apologetic and historically oversimplified narrative and rather unpredictable organization, but some excellent pictures and broad coverage of sites. It would be more effective for viewers who have some idea of the persons, places, and events that it attempts to cover: Part 1 jumps from the introduction to Masada (a "Roman fortress"!), Yavneh, Beit Sharim (and Mishna development), Capernaum (and synagogue art), Dura-Babylonia (and Talmud development), Asia Minor / Sardis, China and the "silk route," Rome / Arch of Titus / Ostia, Spain / Toledo / Maimonides / Halevi (under "the Moors"), and southern France; Part 2 picks up with North Africa / Fez / Al-Fasi / Luria, and then moves to northen France / Rashi (Mishna connections), Worms, Germany, Hungary / Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Strassburg (focus on persecutions). It all ends rather abruptly, consistent with the rather disjointed nature of the whole; very little use of maps or other explanatory aids further restricts the value of this "thread" for the uninitiated. In the right setting, it could be very instructive (e.g. visual supplementation of high-points in [especially European] Jewish history). Note: gossamer = a "gauzelike fabric" (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary); indeed. Israel: The Holy Land (1986 60m) [Christian Perspective] Actual title "This Land of God"! Some good sections on ancient sites (Hebron, Jerusalme, Jericho, Eilat, Carmel, Megiddo) are scattered through a mainly "Jesus sites" focus. Decent pictures, acceptable pious Christian narration. Used portions of it for Ancient Israel segment of RS014. Israel: This Land is Yours (1985 30m) Produced for/by El Al, highly pro-Israel propagandistic, to an embarrassing degree. Not much of academic value. Modern travel. Israel Folk Dance Festival (1981 60m) Conflicts Over the Bible (1985 25m?) [RS] [Religion and Ethics Institute, PO Box 664, Evanston IL 60204] Basically lecture format, with historical sequence of discussions and controversies regarding "the Bible" -- from Essenes-Pharisees-Christians to allegory, rationalism, establishment of canon, Bible translations, infallibility and inspiration, historical-critical approaches, etc. Too much focus on a person lecturing blunts the value of an otherwise instructive script. Christian Mysticism and the Monastic Life (19?? 20m) [RS] [Hartley Film Foundation, Cat Rock Rd, Cos Cob CT 06807] "Filmed in the great monasteries of Europe and America, both Catholic and Protestant, with the recurrent theme of all the Western mystics that love leads to enlightment. This film attempts to give the viewer the feeling of the mystical experience, through the use of music and nature photography, enhanced by the concepts of the great Christian mystics." Islam: A Pictoral Essay (19?? 90m, in 4 parts) [MEC] single narrator, various still picture illustrations 1. The Teachings -- focus on unity of God 2. Life of Muhammad [about 10m] & the 5 Pillars 3. History [35m; weak!] & Culture -- expansion, assimilation 4. Arts and Sciences -- calligraphy, architecture, science The Story of Islam [: Faith and Nations] (1983-90 110m, parts) [RS] [MPI 6024 home video] [see extensive notes; many useful parts; mildly propaganistic] Pre-Islamic Arabic glories Life of Muhammad [useful 15m, counter 1817-2650] Pillars and Beliefs, Law, etc. History of Classical Islam, Spain, Sicily, Crusades, Ottomans [about 15m of this is especially useful; from 3300 onward] India (awkward transition), maritime Islamic contacts Selected Islamic cultures Islam and Modern Issues Five Pillars of Islam (1984 30m) [MEC] (reviewed 4 Feb 1993) [Princeton Humanities Center, based on French production] Slow moving, with general historical introduction and rather rambling scenes (some extremely strange, like the section on jihad and the mosque outlined by stones in the desert!); last half has more focus, on prayer, mosque, fasting and zakat, ending with pilgrimage (as it began). Not much of urban Islam! Unity [Islam] (1978 30m) [MEC] Mideast: Islam, The Unifying Force (1977 17m) [MEC] (4 Feb 1993) Starts with pilgrimage (good scenes, some poor film spots), minaret calls to prayer, historical background, Jerusalem, Quran (some nice examples), Muslim values & ethics, learning (Samarra mosque tower) & schools, 5 pillars. Good movement, coverage. Poor quality film reproduction. Islam: There is No God but God (1978 52m) [IM = BBC Long Search] Introduction to the Arab World, part 2, Islam (1989 15m?) [MEC?] Excellent brief introduction, with accompanying handbook. Mosque (19?? 29m) [IM] Mecca: The Forbidden City (19?? [King Feisal] 55m) [MES] [Iranfilm] Classic film on the Hajj, with attention to details of the different days of the pilgrimage and a focus on daily prayer. Pilgrimage to Mecca (19?? ??m; excerpted form) [RS MES] Largely a remake, with some overlap, of the preceding. Sunnis and the Prohibited Mecca (1984 27m) [IM] Shiites, Followers of Ali (1984 27m) [IM] Islamic Mysticism: the Sufi Way (1971 30m) [IM] Inner Life (1978 30m) [MEC] Islamic mysticism & Sufism Very artistic, even melodramatic at points. Reasonably good general coverage, including India and Pakistan. Too much flowers and nature, but useful for capturing a very positive mood. [No actual footage on dervishes! Combine with the film from Turkey on Dervishes?] Dervishes, Lovers of God (1984 27m) [IM, MEC] [In the Footsteps of Abraham series] Some good pictures of whirling Dervishes, plus related Sufi minor groups in Turkey. General impression of strangeness. Not overly clear on contextualization within Islam or Platonism. On the whole, not a very effective use of time, with some value. A Secret Order: the Druze (1984 27m) [IM] Ways of Faith [Islam in Sudan city] (19?? 50m) [MEC] Knowledge of the World (19?? 55m) [MEC] On Islamic science. Very interesting & instructive, in general Islamic Science and Technology (1984 30m) [MEC] Starts with Sufi Dervishes, then lots on water wheels, dams, etc., and finally some modern issues. Good photography; otherwise weak. Ancient Israel, Near East Setting The Bible (1966 255m) The Bible: In the Beginning (19?? 171m) [CBD] Sodom and Gomorrah (1963 143m) Egypt: The Quest for Eternity (1982 60m) National Geographic Land of the Pharaohs The Nile: Cousteau Odyssey (1979 116m) Moses (1976 141m) [CBD] The Ten Commandments (???? ??m) [Charles Heston] Samson and Delilah (???? ??m) [Anthony Hamilton] David and Bathsheba (1951 116m) King Solomon's Mines (1937 80m) King Solomon's Mines (1950 102m) King Solomon's Mines (1985 100m) Solomon and Sheba (1959, 139m) Early Judaism/Christianity & their Worlds Greek Fire (19?? 5x52m) [PBS] Influence of ancient Greece on modern society Alexander the Great (1989 30m) [AC #7] Alexander the Great (1955 135m) The Hellenistic Age (1989 30m) [AC #8] The Rise of Rome (1989 30m) [AC #9] The Roman Empire (1989 30m) [AC #10] A Biblical Sect: the Samaritans (1984 27m) [IM] Dead Sea Scrolls [TV: Nova] (1991 60m) Spartacus (1960 196m) Testament: The Bible and History (19?? 7x52m) [PBS] Testament: Testament: Testament: Testament: (OT Set = 3 videos; NT Set = 4 videos) John Romer _Testament_ I am unsure whether the 4th or 5th volume is the one I am thinking of but there is one on Christianity during the Byzantine Era. Personally, I like the entire series and have played the volume on the general history of Judaism in the Hellenistic era with great success in my Introduction to Early Christianity course. Barry W. Henaut (University of Ottawa) Rome in the Footsteps of Peter and Paul (19?? 60m) [IM] In the Shadow of Vesuvius (1987 60m)) National Geographic Caligula [adults] (1979 143m) I Claudius [seven episodes] (19?? 14x56m) [PBS] Masterpiece Theatre of Robert Graves' Novels, 50bce - 50ce Early Christianity (1989 30m) [AC #11] A.D. [TV miniseries] (19?? c360m) [CBD] Ben Hur [silent] (1927 148m) Ben Hur (1954 211m) [CBD] Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954 101m) Quo Vadis (1951 171m) St.John in Exile (19?? 90m) [CBD] The Trial & Testimony of the Early Church (1992? 6x30m) [CBD] Jesus & Related Subjects Christ The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965 196m) Jesus of Nazareth (1976 371m) [CBD] Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 108m) Gospel According to Matthew (1966 135m) Jesus [based on Luke; Inspiration Films] (19?? 120m) [CBD] Last Temptation of Christ (1988 163m) King of Kings [silent] (1927 115m) King of Kings (1961 170m) Salome (1953 103m) Salome (1985 105m) Barabbas (1962 144m) The First Easter: Crucifixion, Resurrection & Ascension (19?? 70m) [CBD] The Robe (1953 135m) [CBD] The Prodigal (19?? 106m) [CBD] Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979 93m) Jesus of Montreal Jesus Then & Now [David Watson, host] (19?? 6x20m) [CBD] Byzantine-Medieval Times / Classical Islam World of the Middle Ages Series (19?? 28m each) [MMETS] Lectures with slides by Ed Peters (UPenn) #19 The New Mediterranean World and the Rise of Islam: Good Maps at outset; mostly lecturing. #23 The Monastic Ideal: primarily architecture #24 The World of Bede: #41 Judaism in the World of Christianity and Islam: Mostly lecture, with a few slides. Some useful information. etc. The Rise of the Church (1989 30m) [AC #12] The Decline of Rome (1989 30m) [AC #13] The Fall of Rome (1989 30m) [AC #14] The Byzantine Empire (1989 30m) [AC #15] The Fall of Byzantium (1989 30m) [AC #16] The Dark Ages (1989 30m) [AC #17] The Age of Charlemagne (1989 30m) [AC #18] The Middle Ages (1989 30m) [AC #19] The Feudal Order (1989 30m) [AC #20] Common Life in the Middle Ages (1989 30m) [AC #21] Cities and Cathedrals of the Middle Ages (1989 30m) [AC #22] Magnificat (Italian; c1992) A day in the life of a medieval Italian villiage. The Late Middle Ages (1989 30m) [AC #23] Augustine [Jim O'Donnell (UPenn)] (1992 30m) [MMETS] Sometimes a bit slow moving, with lots of reading texts in accented English and in Latin, but gets the story across. Needs a brief introduction on chronology and geography, to set the scene better for beginners. Eastern Orthodox, Heirs of Byzantium (1984 27m) [IM] A Window to Heaven (by Adrian Maben 1990, 20m) [RS] [Art on Film, ser.2; the third film in program 2, "Film Sense/Art Sense" in the ART ON FILM/FILM ON ART series. Available from Films Incorporated Video, 5547 N.Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, 60640-1199. 800.343.44312. $99, with two other short films on the same video (Giorgione's Tempest and the Fountain of Trevi).] Life of 12th century Cypriot Saint Neofytos (1134-1214), with excellent visuals and empathy; short on instructive content. Comments by Maureen Korp (mkorp@acadvm1.uottawa.ca): -Tells the story of a 12th century monk on Cyprus whose religious fervour is reified in a series of paintings transforming hope into assured facts; the images are both prayers and prayers answered. -The film will require careful explication, however. Stunningly illustrates tension, if not heresy in the mystical interrelationship of art and religion. The film works on a number of levels. -In the film the monk physically obtains apotheosis. He spatially organizes his personal world to enter INTO the mural. He places his bed chamber in the dome (heavens) of the little chapel. The voiceover in the film doesn't really comment on this, but that spatial statement is in front of your eyes. The filmmaker saw it and filmed it, thereby conveying that info. to the viewer. The scriptwriter slid right by it, just a glancing nod. If you know the iconography, you cannot watch this film without a jaw drop of amazement. But if you do not "read" text visually and spatially, it may slide right by you. Certainly, the art historical and art critical commentary which precedes each of the films in the series is of little relevance to religious studies scholars. Knowing how to read the visual and spatial text is what's relevant, even critical. Nestorians & Syrians, Primitive Christian Churches (1984 27m) [IM] Abyssinians, Sons of Solomon (1984 27m) [IM] Armenian Diaspora (1984 27m) [IM] Excalibur (1981 140m) Arabian Nights (1974 130m subtitles Italian) Thief of Bagdad (1940 106m) Thief of Bagdad (1961 90m) The Crusades (1989 29m) [RS] [IM] [Available from Clearvue/eav, 6465 N. Avondale Ave, Chicago IL 60631] A survey of the two centuries of "the crusades," making good use of maps and museum type materials. Includes a booklet with the narrative printed out, some study aids (e.g. questions and projects for students), and two levels of bibliography (introductory and advanced). Appropriate for introducing the subject matter. The Crusades: Saints and Sinners (1970 26m) [IM] Islam: Orient/Occident (1984 30m) [MEC] From the Crusades to the modern period, Islam and the West; main focus on crusades and Spanish Islam, North Africa. Good use of visuals; could use better historical orientation. The Decameron (1970 116m dubbed Italian) Becket [dir Peter Glenville] (1964 148m) [12th c; Richard Burton] The Lion in Winter (1968 136m) [Henry II and Eleanore] A Canterbury Tale Canterbury Tales (1972 109m Italian dubbed) Dante [Bob Hollander] (1991? 30m) El Cid (1961 187m) [Spanish Moorish Islamic conflicts] Suleyman the Magnificent [Ottoman] (1986 57m) [MEC] The Name of the Rose [dir Jean-Jacques Annaud] (1986 118m) 14th c Benedictine Monastery setting, with conflicts suggested between rationalism & tradition, external & internal authority, peasants & advantaged, sexuality & monasticism, etc. Basically a rather violent murder mystery with complex plot and some fairly obvious flaws in coherence, but could be useful in capturing the feeling of some of what must have gone on in such places. Unfortunately the disputation scene(s) are not very convincing in terms of issues, participation, etc. Brother Sun, Sister Moon [Francis of Assissi] (19?? 120m) [First impression from opening sections, slow moving and highly romanticized. Set in 12th-13th c. Jim Blankenship monitored it and did not find it useful.] Francesco d'Assisi [dir Liliana Cavini] (1966 ?m) Francesco, giullare di Dio [dir Rossellini] (1950 ?m) Francis of Assisi [dir Michael Curtiz] (1961 ?m) Saint Francis [dir Zeffirelli ?] Nostradamus: The Life, Prophecies, and Mysticism of Bruges: the History of a Medieval City The film integrates gorgeous manuscript illumnations, effectively filmed to illustrate points about the rise and fall of Bruges and the influence of the Valois dynasty in the area. There are also recreations in historically accurate looking costume of a Corpus Christi procession, royal entries, and a ceremonial joust that is alone worth the price of admission. Other than overly dramatic narrative voiceover that gets silly at moments, I give this one two thumbs up. Lorraine K. Stock (University of Houston) The Navigator (198? ??m) About the plague in England; SPECTACULAR (R.Gimello, UAriz). I saw a video not to long ago on educational TV about the life of Hildegarde of Bingen -- about an hour long and quite good. Can't remember the exact title or the name of the distributor, but your university's library or media center could probably help you track it down. If you do find it, could you send me the information on how to rent or buy it, as I might want to use it myself. R. Gimello (UAriz) gimello@ccit.arizona.edu Simon of the Desert [by Bunuel] Purportedly deals with Simon Stylites, but the themes are chiefly those shared by both "eastern" and "western" mystic traditions. Gary Lease (UC Santa Cruz) Light on stones: Medieval Church of Vezelay Berkley 1991 Medieval Monastery U of Toronto, Centere for Medieval Studies 1979 Medieval Women International Film Bureau 1989 Medici and Palazzo Vecchio Treccani Video Libr 1989 Giotto and the pre Renaissance Kartes Video Comm. 1986 Medieval conflict-faith and reason BBc & RKO 1986 Middle Ages Educ. A V 1985 Medieval Mind Encyclopaedia Britannica 198? England in the Middle Ages ditto 1985 Feast & Famine: limestone made for fertile soil Coronet 1991 Tour of the Vatican Museums Viewfinders, Inc 1983 Luca Pacioli: unsung hero of Renaissance accounting 1990 Renaissance of Monteverdi: court madrigal Unlv. of Okla 1981 Tour of the Prado Tour of the Louvre Renaissance/Reformation Period The National Monarchies (1989 30m) [AC #24] The Renaissance and the Age of Discovery (1989 30m) [AC #25] The Renaissance and the New World (1989 30m) [AC #26] The Reformation (1989 30m) [AC #27] The Wars of Religion (1989 30m) [AC #29] The Passion of Joan of Arc [dir Carl Th. Dreyer] (1928 ?m, silent) Joan of Arc [dir Victor Fleming] (1948 ?m) Joan of Arc [dir Robert Bresson] Joan of Arc at the Stake [dir Rossellini] (1954 ?m) [with Ingrid Bergman] St. Joan [dir Otto Preminger) (1957 ?m) From Toledo to Jerusalem [Sefardim] (19?? 60m; subtitles) [IM] Turkey's Sephardim: 500 Years (1986+ 60m+) [IM MEC] In 3 parts. 1984 trip by Jewish woman and Muslim husband to visit the ancestral homeland and orient child, etc. Good clip at outset of Sardis synagogue excavation. 1492 expulsion, maps; Heb sabbath ceremony, etc. Izmir's Jews, including good section on Sabbatai Zvi and his movement/fate. Then to Pergamum. Part 2 -- Jews in Turkey; 1986 Arab terrorist slaughter of synagogue attendees, Turkish reactions. Pluralism of Ottoman Turkey, coexistence with Jews and Muslims; Darvish scene; Jewish assimilation to the state, lang., etc. now. Part 3 -- Life on the Islands. Overview, with some useful details such as wedding ceremony, Ladino synagogue service and problem of loss of many features of tradition among moderns. On the whole, quite well done, if long. More of a human interest orientation than academic presentation. Some promising sections. Trees Cry for Rain: a Sephardic Journey (1989 30m) [MEC] Lots of narrative by a woman and companions; good historical and geographical introduction Spain to Turkey to St.Louis, married an Ashkenazi, etc.; chant song in Ladino (Jewish Spanish) right after kitchen cooking sequence; women and customs after the sequence on Turkish coffee (women, marriage, trousseau, naming of children, language, Hannuka) in contrast to Ashkenazi. Slow and dull, academically, but also personable (human interest focus). Some useful sections, especially at beginning and end. The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933 97m) Anne of a Thousand Days (1969 145m) A Man For All Seasons (1966 120m) Thomas More, Henry 8th [CBD] A Man For All Seasons (1988 ?m) Thomas More, Henry 8th The Reformation (1979 14m) [IM] Luther Rembrandt (1936 84m) 17th c Black Robe (1991 ?m) [Jesuits in 17th c Canada] Hasidim: From Ghettos to Zion (1984 27m) [IM] Yentl Golem (1920 118m) East European ghetto Fiddler on the Roof Modern The Rise of Louis XIV (1966 100m subtitles Italian) The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934 92m) Song of Bernadette (1943 156m) 19th c Lourdes Agnes of God (1985 98m) Therese [of Lisieux; late 19th c Carmelite] (1986 90m; subtitles; based on her "Story of a Soul") Strong feeling for ascetic convent life at various levels. Generally sympathetic but not without critical expression and implications. Not clear why this young woman would have been canonized (in 1925), but good representation of selected human conflicts & attitudes. Used 20m section from Therese taking vows to visit of (critical) doctor when she became ill with TB; useful cross-sections (need some set-up, like the brief blurb on the video box). Mother Theresa (19?? 81m) [RS] [MYC888.MT] The Talmud & the Scholar (1989 58m) [MMETS] Focus on Adin Steinsaltz, but with ample backgrounding and breadth. Startlingly detailed atmosphere of Talmudic study habits and ideals (probably will have a negative effect on many; reinforce stereotypes of traditional pious Jewish males). Generally effective. Art of Celebration [Jewish Calendar] (1988 20m) [IM] The Perfect Gift: A Guide to Jewish Religious Articles (1988 29m) [IM] For Out of Zion [Jewish Torah Centrality] (1973 15m) [IM] Shoah (1985 503m) holocaust documentary The Chosen Europa Europa Exodus (1960 213m) The Jews of Jerba [Island off Tunisia] (1987+ 10m) [MEC] Home movie quality. Not much of value beyond identification and some general architectual and topographical views, and communal baking for Sabbath. "2000 year history" (from Solomon)! Half the Kingdom [Women in modern Judaism] Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits... (1989 120m, PBS) [MEC] Orthodox Christianity: The Romanian Solution (1978 52m) [IM] [BBC Long Search] Catholicism: Rome, Leeds, and the Desert (1978 52m) [IM] [BBC Long Search] Protestant Spirit USA (1978 52m) [IM = BBC Long Search] Common Table: Women in Ministry (19?? 28m) [RS] [Maryknoll World Video Library, Maryknoll NY 10545] "The work of Maryknoll sisters in a rural parish in Bolivia and the personal ministry of a lay missioner in Venezuela. An ordained woman Presbyterian minister and a woman lay missioner reflect on their experiences in ministry." Born Again: Life in a Fundamentalist Church [Ethnography of a fundamentalist Christian church in Mass.] The Shakers: Hands to Work Hearts to God (1985 58m) [RS] [Florentine Films; Direct Cinema, PO Box 69799, LA CA 90069] A Ken Burns Film: "Through the use of interviews, paintings, songs, dances and architecture, a very thorough, interesting, and non-judgemental portrait is presented of Shaker history, beliefs, practices, social structures and art" (Choice Mag). Holy Ghost People [Ethnography of Christian "snake dancers" in Virginia] Chariots of Fire (19?? 124m) [CBD] Scottish Protestant piety, Jewish marginalization, in British education and sports (track) in mid-early 20th century A Man Called Peter [Marshall] (19?? 117m) [CBD] Modern Protestant Christian preacher of some note (British?) Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream Protestant Black Baptist social activism in traditional Christian context (non-violence, etc.) Malcolm X Nation of Islam ("Black Muslim") leader The Glory and the Power: Fundamentalisms Observed (1992 3x60m) [RS] Separate treatments of Judaism, Christianity, Islam [PBS]; Well done, on the whole; lots of interviewing. This is Our Land [Judaism Segment] -- Filmed in Israel, with focus on Gush Emunim ("the bloc of the faithful") movement that spearheads settlement of "the west bank," with strongly expressed religious motivations. Fighting Back [Christianity Segment] -- Explores aspects of Christian fundamentalism in the US, with a focus on Bob Jones University (Greensboro SC) and profiles of Randall Terry ("operation Rescue") and Charles Colson (convicted Watergate conspirator), among others. Remaking the World [Islam Segment] -- Focuses on the "Islamic Brotherhood" movement, starting from Egypt, with its call for return to traditional Islamic values. Islam in America [Christian Science Monitor] (1991 60m) [MEC] Very well done; focus on Iowa and Massachusetts communities, their histories, compositions, and practices primarily in relation to the 5 pillars; segment on Islam prison missions; deals tangentally and instructively with Malcolm X, etc. Modern Apocalypticism When Worlds Collide The Day the Earth Stood Still The Seventh Seal [dir Bergman] (1957 ?m) [other possibles?] Israel's Shattered Dreams The Islamic Mind (Bill Moyers) Virgin Spring [dir Bergman] (1959 ?m) The Twisted Cross (1956 53m) rise of Hitler and his fate The Keys of the Kingdom [Gregory Peck] (19?? 137m) [CBD] Religions Other than Judaism-Christianity-Islam (selective) World of Joseph Campbell (various aspects of "myth") Light of the Gods (1988 28m) 10th to 5th c bce Greek Art Pasolini's "Medea" could be a set piece depending on the stretch of the course. Gary Lease (UC Santa Cruz) Gandhi (1982 184m) [any value for Jud-Chr-Isl course?] Taoism (19?? 25m) [RS] Buddhism: Be Ye Lamps unto Yourselves (19?? 25m) [MMETS] [ABC News Film] Ma: Space/Time in the Garden of Ryoan-Ji", l6 m (Art on Film, ser.1) there is no narration, just the camera panning very, very slowly across the garden. connexion with the West? easy, the influence of Zen Buddhism post-WWII in contemporary arts in the US. Maureen Korp (University of Ottawa) Shinto: Nature, Gods and Man in Japan (19?? 45m) [MMETS] //end// Supplement, On "mysticism" This is a hard request to fill without knowing what you would include as "Western," and whether you want feature films or documentaries. Two excellent feature films, well-directed and well-acted, are Peter Brook's adaptation of Gurdjieff's _Meetings With Remarkable Men_, _Meetings with Remarkable Men_ would probably be a more popular choice with students, since it's easier to understand what's going on; Andrei Tarkovsky's biopic _Andrei Rublev_. Tarkovsky (who also directed _Solaris_ and _The Sacrifice_) is *extremely* difficult, but also stunningly brilliant. The Tarkovsky film's being long, (poorly) subtitled, and b&w may also turn some students off. Patrick Charlottesville, VA prh2s@faraday.clas.virginia.edu ----- FANNY & ALEXANDER explored mysticism in the second half of the movie. Marc Crowley Arizona State University ----- Re: Films for Atonement (and a few for Mysticism) The only books and films worth one's time are always about redemption, IMHO; but that still leaves me too much to read and see. There is alot of stuff out there that would make good fodder for such a course. On retributive justice you can't beat "High Plains Drifter", and the more recent "Unforgiven", with its Christless Calvinism, would be a nice complicating follow up. "Clearcut" (with Graham Greene) is a damned interesting Native American gloss on liberal justice and Christian atonement. On representative/substitutionary experience and suffering, I really like "The Navigator" (about a medieval journey to modern New Zealand [!] to save the village from the Plague). Bergman's "Virgin Spring" and "Seventh Seal" would also be worth considering. How about "Wise Blood"? "The Crying Game" is a fascinating retribution/satisfaction/reconciliation/ substitution film. "Man Facing Southeast" (which I used for a Christian Mysticism course--which would take some explaining, but it worked) offers a provocative reading of the Passion. Wim Wender has two you should consider: "Paris Texas" and "Wings of Desire" -- the latter especially brings out the notion (essential to Christian mysticism) of redemption as an encounter with a person, the intrusion of something from beyond one's self into one's life, an event that gives meaning to life. I could go on and on, but I'll stop with my favorite Hound-of- Heaven-style redemption film: "The Philadelphia Story" with Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, & Jimmy Stewart. Joel Barstad The Colorado College ----- /end suppl/