FILMS

Hard as Nails

Justin Fatica is not for everyone. When he steps up to the altar, the unordained Catholic minister becomes a frenetic whirlwind of energy using a mix of professional wrestling, Hip Hop and Scripture to bring Jesus to thousands of teenage worshippers. Despite his success, his intense, over-the-top approach faces some serious resistance - even from his own beloved Catholic Church.

Live from Shiva's Dance Floor

This award-winning film follows legendary NYC tour guide Speed Levitch around lower Manhattan as he sketches out his vision for what to do with the sacred space of Ground Zero. Directed by acclaimed independent film icon Richard Linklater, Live from Shiva's Dance Floor is as Sandra Bernhard said, "a fervent, radiant vision of a once and future New York."

Time for a New God

In an era of pervasive conflict and global unsettledness, Rabbi Irwin Kula argues that we are in a time of transition and need to rethink God’s place in our society. In this short documentary, Rabbi Kula shows how organized religion is largely missing out on what is truly sacred and spiritual because it happens everyday in our lives and not necessarily in our churches, mosques or temples. Rabbi Kula believes that we have to look around us and recognize the sacredness that exists and then act on it. As he says in Time for a New God, “to pray isn’t to sit comfortably in some pew and say words that make you feel good. Its to make your life a liturgy, to make your life a song worth singing.

Freaks Like Me

One thousand years ago, Barcelona was an open society where people of all faiths peacefully congregated. Five hundred years ago, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled all Jews and started the Spanish Inquisition. In the summer of 2004, seven thousand people came to Barcelona for the Parliament of the World's Religions to see if things have changed. This film weaves a tapestry of these seekers as they explore how religion, often a cause of violence today, can instead be a catalyst for building a better world.

A Redwood Grows in Brooklyn

Acclaimed nature photographer James Balog spent several years taking pictures of the largest, oldest, and tallest tress of North America. Each tree he photographed had its own history but one of the most memorable narratives belonged to a tree growing in the rather unlikely setting of Brooklyn New York. This species of tree - the Dawn Redwood - was one of the great botanical finds of the 21st century. Its incredible journey elicits a thoughtful rumination from Balog on the relationship between the natural world and humanity.