Reel to Real Friday Movie Nights

This summer, Trinity is hosting a film series that explores themes of divine grace and the human search for God; the wondrous beauty of creation and the reality of suffering; faith, hope, and charity in an often brutal world; redemption and forgiveness in Christ. Movies and discussion are geared towards an adult audience.

7 pm on the big screen in the Church nave: 321 Main Avenue. Come, and bring a friend!

June 12: Nostalghia (1983, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)

Andrei, a Russian poet, is travelling in Italy, yet he finds himself suffering from homesickness—an exile of the soul. He meets Domenico, a pious hermit, whom most consider a madman; the two share a feeling of alienation and rootlessness. To his new friend, Andrei makes a promise that he will wade through a pool with a burning candle, a humble act of obedience and sacrifice.

June 19: To the Wonder (2013, dir. Terrence Malick)

Neil meets Marina, a Ukrainian woman, and they fall in love in Paris. Everything is fresh and beautiful. They move to Oklahoma and get married. But their marriage soon begins to crumble. While Neil is emotionally distant, Marina finds solace and spiritual counsel from Father Quintana, a dislocated priest, who is going through a severe crisis of faith. The characters wrestle with longing and restlessness, seeking to love and be loved, and to know that love which is unconditional and divine.

June 26: The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini)

An epic biblical drama, which follows the life of Jesus of Nazareth, from the nativity to the resurrection, as recounted by Matthew’s Gospel. Simple and unadorned, the film attempts to represent the greatest story that ever took place, through the eyes of the evangelist, for a contemporary audience which may be unbelieving but longs to believe.

July 3: Babette's Feast (1987, dir. Gabriel Axel)

Set in 19th century Denmark, in a remote Protestant village, the townsfolk are rigid in their following of moral rules, to the point that they are suspicious of one another and afraid of any enjoyment of earthly pleasures. But this rather grim religiosity is challenged when a French woman, Babette, comes into their midst: through an extravagant meal which she prepares for the townsfolk, their fear and distrust is transformed into gratitude, as the feast opens them to grace.

July 10: The Immigrant (2013, dir. James Gray)

A young Polish woman, Ewa, arrives in New York in 1921 in search of a better life. She is swept off her feet by a troubled and insecure man, Bruno, who entraps her in a world of violence and oppression. Ewa’s Catholic faith gives her strength to endure great troubles and indignities. In spite of her brutal circumstances, Ewa is a beacon of grace, so that even the one who exploits her experiences forgiveness and redemption.

July 17: Silence (2016, dir. Martin Scorsese)

A movie about Jesuit missionary-priests, and their converts, suffering for their faith in 17th century Japan, where Christianity is outlawed. Where is God, when one’s prayers are met with silence? Is God indifferent to human suffering, misery and pain? What is the message and mission of Jesus Christ and his Church, and to what extent, and to what purpose, are Christians called to be tested for their faith?

August 21: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, dir. Carl Dreyer)

A masterpiece of cinematography, which closely follows the historical trial of a young woman, only 19 years old, who was accused, tried, and found guilty of heresy in the 15th century. A story of vision, faith, and courage, even to the point of death, and of a remarkable woman who would come to be canonized as a saint in the last century—nearly 500 years after she was burned at the stake.