I intend exploring the film's site more, but started by downloading and reading the Press kit. This contains an interview with the film's director, and, if you scroll down to the end, an outline of Carmelite history and of the monastery at Notting Hill Gate. The glossary gives a generally good account of aspects of Catholic and Carmelite life, but is disappointing (the only point at which it is disappointing, I should add) in its failure to effectively present the doctrine of the Real Presence in the Eucharist.
There are parallels to the story of how Into Great Silence was made - and the film's distributors, Soda Pictures, also distributed Into Great Silence.
The film has been shown at Festivals, and is due for general release in April. Bridges and Tangents writes, having seen a pre-release screening:
The final shot was breathtaking. Only at the very end, after following the sisters within the confines of the monastery walls for what amounted to a year, did the director use an aerial shot and pan back from the monastery to the surrounding streets and housing estates — and to the whole of west London. You realised that this monastery, so hidden away and unacknowledged, is truly part of the beating heart of London.At a time when the Catholic Church is subject to so much criticism, the appearance of a film such as this can only be a good thing. I am, of course, fascinated by the willingness of film makers to engage with a subject such as this, and look forward to seeing the film in the cinema, before I get the DVD.
No comments:
Post a Comment