Creations—Christian Media

19 February 2012 | Leslie Foster

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Too often, the words "Christian media" are viewed warily if not with outright frustration by many of us in the film world. It seems so many times to be code for poorly-crafted productions with little attention paid to art, which end quite neatly without much consideration for the complications and messiness of life. They seem a little distant from the model of a parable, which often left the disciples baffled and challenged many of their pre-conceived notions.

This week's films revisit the world of Christian-produced films, from the earnest to the challenging, for your consideration

1. Brian Head Welch - I Am Second

2. Abegail - Answered.tv

3. Blood on My Name

4. Self-Sabotage

Zane Yi - Mon, 02/20/2012 - 03:00

Leslie,

Along this line, I just saw the following film posted on CNN that I thought was extremely well done.

It follows the story of Ed Dobson. Apparently, it is part of a series put out by the folks who put together the NOOMA videos.

Charles R - Mon, 02/20/2012 - 04:06

Thanks for posting these. My observations are as follows:

1. Brian Head - based on this video and the other one on the channel - "Flush" - it is clear that he sees his calling as being "real" about his life experiences so that others who identify can find the way out. Even in his salvation, he has not forgotten his rage from the pain of life. Also, while he seems to genuinely desire to accept God's salvation and to have his life utterly transformed, he does not see any need to be transformed into the cultural image of what the church shows Christianity to be. His artistic vision is undeniable, even if it is hard for a traditional Christian to grapple with. What's interesting about this is that I think many new Christians feel the same...they want to become saved...but they also want to maintain their unique 'realness.' Consider this link and some of the things he's quoted as saying. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_Me_from_Myself_(album)

2. answered.tv - these seem to be directly aimed at people who already believe. They are devotional moments. Words of encouragement. I don't particularly see these examples as art, even if they are artfully done.

3. Blood on my name - I get the point, but it is too obvious and pedestrian for my tastes. It comes at the story of salvation by emphasizing the decrepit nature of life. It's a twist on the old notion that one motivation for accepting Christ is fear of eternal punishment. In this case, the fear seems to be that life is so painful, sin ridden...that the only way to a better life is through Christ, and that Christ will accept you despite your sins. I imagine this speaks more to believers than it does to non-believers.

4. This is the most artistic endeavor of the lot. Generally speaking, art does not tell the observer what to think...this is the job of the observer. This film leaves you asking far more questions than having answers. I found myself pondering what the director is attempting to say. I also found myself pondering how the images related directly to the segment of the Lord's Prayer being revealed. The connections are not obvious...perhaps this is done on purpose. As a result, I found myself meditating further on the meaning of various parts of the Lord's Prayer. After watching the film, I find that the message of the director is unclear...but then that can often be the case in art films...just consider Fellini.

Your Friend - Mon, 02/20/2012 - 17:15

Too much going on in the real world to be concerned about man-made plots and stories. How do these help us in our daily battle with sin and suffering?

C. Ray - Mon, 02/20/2012 - 17:47

Your Friend, do you just write to be contrary? So much so that you write whatever first comes to your mind without watching or attempting to comprehend the subject on which you are commenting? Seriously, there's no way you could've watched at least the 1st two and still written your post with any semblance of sincerity. Unless your point is just to sincerely be inciting.

rljacobson - Mon, 02/20/2012 - 19:35

That's the guy from KoЯn? Huh.

Zane, your links have been eaten by internet. Would love to click them, but...

--Robert Jacobson

Anonymous1 - Mon, 02/27/2012 - 12:17

Your Friend,

Are you a fan of the arts? From your comment, I am inferring that you consider them impractical and a luxury.

Is this true? Do you support and appreciate the arts? Your response to this helps me understand you better.

Art involves the creative process. When we are creative, we are most like our Creator.

Charles R - Mon, 02/20/2012 - 22:58

Your Friend...

I'm guessing you didn't watch any of these since the first video confronts sin and suffering (with Jesus as the answer) in a raw and bold manner. Maybe you couldn't hear past his tattoos and stopped watching, but for many young people or those who are outside of the church, those tattoos may just cause them to stop and listen.

The cool thing about all art is that it is a participatory thing. The artist creates something, then the observer interprets. There is no right or wrong answer. Your personal experience with art can tell you an awful lot about yourself. It is sort of like looking into a mirror. What you see/hear says a lot about who you are.

I'm almost always too busy to spend much time on Spectrum. That goes for now, too, but this past week I have allowed myself to get sucked in on several threads. As of this past Sabbath, I've been thinking about how important it is to not waste so much precious time in these circular arguments that take place here. But if you simply read my reviews of the four pieces, you'll notice that in each instance, they caused me to stop and think about things of God...is that really not worthy?