Curriculum and Learning Resources

Film as Theological Text
Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley
Lifespan Faith Development, UUA, Boston, MA

Series 3: Welcoming the Stranger
Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley

We all encounter the stranger. At some point in our lives, we will face the paradox of being both insider and outsider. Our myths, literature, and current events would indicate that fear of "the other" is a common human trait. And yet, all the wisdom traditions teach us that when we venture out beyond the boundaries of our familiar terrain, we learn a deeper truth: that renewal and transformation come out of our encounter with the unknown, with the stranger. It is from such deep and profound experiences of transcendence that we grow empathically and spiritually.

In this third series of Film as Theological Text, we present two films - Chocolat and The Spitfire Grill.

(Series 3 will be continued in the Winter 2003 edition of UU Faith Works.) While there can be a fruitful discussion in a stand alone presentation of either film, the two films complement and supplement each other thematically in that they both focus on the spiritual discipline of hospitality. Together, they help us to understand both the spiritual benefits and challenges of deepening relationships through welcoming the stranger. Among the questions raised by these two films are: Who is the stranger? How do we experience the stranger in our midst - individually and collectively? What is the role of stranger and host as they encounter each other?

In addition to these two films, Babette's Feast, featured in Series 2, is a fitting complement for this series, Welcoming the Stranger.

You may wish to read the following meditation immediately before the first film is presented:

Meditation
There is a city of the mind, with uniform streets and secure borders, with rigid laws and strict legislation, whose like-minded citizens share every goal and opinion. Beyond the city limits is a wasteland. On a barren plain where no one should live, the stranger dwells. And though he cannot enter the city, he is its greatest threat.

Every human being is an inhabitant of this city; each person lives within boundaries that define and limit the perception of reality. The borders that divide one individual from another may be drawn on many grounds: religious, nationalistic, ethnic. They may be the viewpoint of a particular individual, or the shared vision of an entire community. They shift over time, or remain constant. In all cases, what lies within the borders is an entire world view, with its own internal logic, absolute truths, social mores, dreams and aspirations. Conceptual underpinnings fortify the position; frequent battles, both verbal and physical, charge it with emotion, until the surrounding barriers become almost impenetrable, and the world is divided into those within and those without.

Even when the borders are very broad, there is always someone behind them: that person is the stranger.

—Eliezer Shore

Reflections

Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we find ourselves treading on another's dream. More serious still, we may forget that God was there before our arrival.
—Anonymous

There's only one commandment, the One and Only Commandment. It's not easy, but it's simple: Thou Shalt Not Other.
—Barbara Hebner

Your gifts-whatever you discover them to be-can be used to bless or curse the world.
The mind's power,
the strength of the hands,
the reaches of the heart,
the gift of speaking,
listening, imagining, seeing, waiting
any of these can serve to feed the hungry,
bind up wounds,
welcome the stranger,
praise what is sacred,
do the work of justice
or offer love.
—Rebecca Parker

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
—Melody Beattie

Chocolat
Directed by Lasse Hallström
David Brown Productions, 2000
Length: 121 minutes
Video or DVD
Based on a novel of the same title by Joanne Harris
Rating: PG-13

Description: Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) arrives in the provincial French village of Lansquenet with her six-year old daughter, Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). A single mom and proud of it, thank you, Vianne rents a dusty old shop across the street from the church, and remodels it as a café out of which will come an aroma of confectioneries to delight the palate. It is 1959, and acknowledging a child out of wedlock would have been enough to lead to less than a warm welcome in this deeply Roman Catholic village. Coincidentally, the new shop opens at the onset of Lent, a bit too close on the liturgical calendar and physically too close to tempt the faithful. Vianne, who perceives herself as 'good enough,' has no intentions of going to church or putting on a false face in order to conform with the expectations of the community in which she has arrived, if for a time. And with characteristic gusto, when she announces that a chocolate festival will be held on Easter Sunday, she might as well have announced a contest between good and evil, between dogma and liberation or declared war on the church. Imagine: a brand new chocolate shop just after Father Henri Reynaud (Hugh O'Connor) had delivered a homily in which he called for a season of "abstinence, reflection, and sincere penitence."

Vianne is not merely a stranger. She is a hereditary priestess ordained by her mother's Mayan heritage, a heritage in which heightened sensory responses can be a pathway or foretaste to the mystical. She has witnessed the power of her mother's ritualistic elixir - a mixture of chocolate and pepper - that produces a euphoric, if not ecstatic, response. In short, this ancient recipe opens the soul, bringing joy and hope to those who would indulge in its delight. Her arrival in Lansquenet is part of her mission to bring joy and delight wherever her nomadic life takes her. One of Vianne's gifts is that she can divine her customer's favorite confectionary. As the locals yield to her delights, she becomes their confessor. With new found freedom, they pour out their troubles and test their dreams with the chocolatier. Through her growing friendship with Vianne, Josephine (Lena Olin), a battered wife and kleptomaniac, begins to understand that she has other options. While Vianne's chocolate treats were meant to be a gift to the community, a catalyst of conscious hospitality, it had just the opposite affect. She has trod where strangers ought not, and she is perceived as meddling in local affairs. In short, her presence - or perhaps it is the presence of chocolate - divides the community. Father Henri sees her as mischievous at best and a sinner at worst. The Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina) - who doubles as the mayor and self-appointed moral authority - feels obliged to exert his power, and so he organizes a hate campaign and ultimately a pact to run her out of town. On Easter Eve, while in the process of trying to destroy the chocolate shop, a spatter of chocolate lands on his lips. His fast is broken and he succumbs not only to the chocolate, but to the power of Vianne, the stranger and ancient priestess. The encounter represents a turning point for the mayor, the priest, and the whole community.

To the Facilitator(s)

1. Facilitators should note that there are two films by the same title, Chocolat - both of which are set in the 1950's. The 1989 film, Chocolat, directed by Claire Denis, takes place in French Cameroon. The Chocolat referenced here was directed by Lasse Hallström, and was released in 2000.
2. Prior to the day of the event, watch the film closely at least once. The film's sub-text is rooted in Mayan culture that may be difficult to understand in one screening. Read the entire summary and discussion guide, as well as the process guide thoroughly. Decide how you will approach the session. The film description is for facilitators; but some facilitators have found the description useful to read aloud prior to the start of the film.
3. Begin the session with a welcome and a brief centering. You may use words of your own choosing or words from the "Reflections" that begin this series. Note that several of the discussion questions work well with particular selections from Reflections. After the centering, you may wish to invite participants to reflect on their own experience of being a stranger or welcoming a stranger in their midst.
4. After showing the film, invite participants to take a five-minute break.
5. Following the break, begin by asking if anyone needs clarification on any part of the story. Be prepared to discuss subtleties that depart from the main theme. For some, it will be easy to miss the fact that although the film takes place in France (ironically speaking English), Vianne's mother (whose ashes she carries around in an urn) was Mayan. Tradition dictates that they should never stay in one place too long; rather, that they should adopt a nomadic lifestyle dispensing the family's special brand of cocoa that is believed to have mystical healing properties; indeed, it is thought to be a cure, if an addictive one, for social and physical ills.
6. Participants may wish to "vent" and to engage in aimless discussion about the film. Given the time limitations, it is your task as a facilitator to guide the discussion to focus on questions about values, faith and religion - broadly defined.

Theological deconstruction:

Mayan tradition: Although the writers do not indicate it directly, Vianne is an archetypal hereditary priestess whose mission is symbolized through chocolate as a catalyst for joy and a way of carrying on her Mayan spiritual tradition. For the indigenous cultures of Central America (Mayan and Aztec), chocolate may have had ritual ceremonial import. In the Mayan tradition, cacao was a ritualistic elixir that brought joy; it may have also been a celebratory intoxicant. The ancient Mayan elders used it as a hot cocoa drink. In contrast to Mayan tradition, Vianne adapts the use of cocoa to the ways of the French, as a chocolate confectionery. She mixes up a special extraction of chocolate and pepper, which leads to a heightened sensory experience, if not an ecstatic one.

If you're interested in learning more about this ancient history of chocolate, visit any of the following web sites:

• http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/chocolate020718.html
• http://www.chocolatemonthclub.com/chocolatehistory.htm
• http://www.chocolates-n-coffee.4t.com/history_chocolate.htm#THE%20ORIGINS%20OF%20CHOCOLATE
• http://www.mythinglinks.org/ip~cacao.html
• http://www.icco.org/questions/origin.htm

Significance of Lenten season and Easter: Chocolat is a journey through Lent and Easter in which a priestess brings the wisdom of her ancient Earth-centered Mayan culture to redeem the community and bring forth the full meaning of Easter as the rebirth of life. In Christian mythology, Easter is the preparation for the renewal of life. Vianne arrives at the start of Lent, the season of preparation for Easter, a festival to celebrate the renewal of life in the face of death.

Reynaud, the Count (or mayor) (In the film, the priest participates in domination as well. However, in Chocolat, the novel by Joann Harris, the character of Reynard was not the mayor or count, but a priest.), has taken over the symbols of faith in the community and has used these symbols for his own control. In this way, the Count represents despair, sadness, repression and the old order, power over - domination of the townspeople, and in this way, he is a symbol of death. In contrast, informed by her traditional heritage, Vianne embraces life in all its fullness. She actively resists the control represented by the Count/mayor, and thus represents newness and change. Whether or not Vianne has an intellectual or theological understanding of relationality, it is by her refusal to participate in domination of any sort, and her embodied relational presence, that she creates an alternative Lenten celebration that undermines the power and control of domination.

In his Lenten homily, the priest speaks of the period as a season of "abstinence, reflection, and sincere penitence." From a liberationist perspective, abstinence means abstaining from the spirit that kills Easter - in this case, the Count's small-minded control of the town. Little did the priest know that reflection - both his own as well as reflection of the townspeople - would be utterly transformative. By the time he delivered his Easter homily, the priest had done his own penance, recognizing that his view was too narrow. Again, from a liberationist perspective, in essence, the priest's Easter message said, let's break down the powers of control and domination; let's include the whole community.

Christians traditionally prepare for Easter as a celebration of the resurrection of the son of God through fasting and prayerful meditation. Perhaps as a reminder of the origins of the Christian Easter, Vianne introduces an alternative celebration - a chocolate festival on Easter Sunday - that offers the community an opportunity for renewal and transformation, and thus prepares the way for change, for a new Easter. Coincidentally, the festival may also be symbolic of ancient pagan festivals, the return of the sun, the light of the universe.

Chocolate is then, a metaphor for unconditional love. Through her very presence, Vianne opens the community to the possibility of newness and change. Her Easter chocolate festival prepares the way for change, for a new Easter. Through the resurrection of the light within the human soul, the chocolate festival symbolizes inclusivity, wholeness, and freedom.

Significance of the boat people. The people of this closed community live in fear of strangers -in this case, of "the boat people," the new strangers; they are alternative merchants who come to the shores of Lansquenet hoping to trade with the locals. Archetypally, they are working-class bohemians or wandering prophets. They represent gypsies, sailors, missionaries, witches, Jews, or pagans-any outsider who may threaten the traditional values and normative ways of the community. Vianne, herself an outsider, boards the boat with these strangers, thus allying herself with them as outsiders, and ultimately, they become a symbol of Vianne's own transformation. The count calls the boat people sinners, and it is his fear of "the other" that leads him to participate in setting the boat on fire. Significantly, this act of violence takes place during Holy Week, a time when symbolically, the violence of the Passion story is upon us.

Discussion questions:

The following questions are designed to stimulate ideas for discussion. A contextual statement precedes some of the questions. Facilitators are encouraged to use their own words to convey the context of the question, and are encouraged to be attuned to the group's energy and interests, and use whatever approach they feel will promote a vibrant discussion. In other words, the following questions are offered as suggestions, but facilitators need not feel obliged to use them or the reflections associated with questions 1 and 4.

Reflecting on your own experience of being the stranger, how did you respond to Vianne being ostracized? What are some ways to foster "right relationships" and seek reconciliation of differences, even where we are not welcomed?

Read the words of Rebecca Parker [Reflections, p. 2] and use your own words to convey the following: Vianne extended a hand of friendship to her new village arriving with a gift, a magic potion, of cocoa that she wished to use as a blessing to her new community. Yet, she is ostracized, rejected, and made a stranger in the community. Was Vianne successful in bestowing her gift in the community?

If you have not already read the first reflection [Reflection, p. 2 Anonymous], read it aloud, and ask: In approaching a new community, what responsibility does the stranger have to his or her host? Alternative formulation: Some would argue that a community has a right - if not a responsibility - to protect its cultural norms. Do you agree or disagree? What does your response suggest about welcoming strangers? What does it say about the place of tradition?

In spite of their ideological and personal differences, Vianne and the mayor are equally entrenched in tradition. On the one hand, in order to keep up appearances of stability and unquestioned morality, the mayor insists on explaining his wife's estrangement as an extended vacation. On the other hand, the cultural tradition of a never married single mother, Vianne, would have her "dispensing ancient remedies [and] never settling down" in any one place too long. If you were to serve as a mediator to help these two characters bridge the cultural divide, where would you begin?

Vianne held on tightly to her Mayan heritage, exemplified most vividly near the end of the film with the symbolic breaking of the urn that held her mother's ashes. This followed an argument between Vianne and Anouk about whether to stay in or leave the village. What do we risk and what do we gain when we hold onto or let go of the past? Which is more important: freedom or tradition? What are the merits of passing on each of these values to children?

Women played a particular role transforming consciousness in the village. How did this happen?

In the end, the very soul of the village is tested over the chocolate shop's value of inclusivity and compassion and the church's value of sameness and conformity. This contrast might also describe the place of Unitarian Universalists in relation to the teachings of mainstream religion. Like Vianne, the values and principles that we promote sometimes render us the stranger. How does being a stranger serve to benefit a community? What are the costs of being a stranger? What are the benefits?

In spite of her troubles, Vianne represents freedom of spirit, and in this sense, is a catalyst for change. What role does food - chocolate in this case - have in bringing out our humanity? Which is the catalyst for change: the food itself, or the purveyor of food?

What is the ethical or religious message of the film, Chocolat?

By the closing scene of the film, the community had learned from Vianne the power of difference and diversity over sameness and conformity. Even the priest was converted and joined her in a message of inclusion. His Easter homily witnessed to the rebirth of the community when he said: I think we can't go around measuring our goodness by what we don't do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think we've got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include. How do we, as Unitarian Universalists, measure our goodness? Can you offer examples?

Closing Thought: The power of this film lies not so much in the ancient Mayan cocoa formula or in Vianne's confectioner's recipes. Rather, it lies in hospitality as a spiritual act - in Vianne's ability to meet people where they are -- offering hope and unconditional love, in spite of their foibles. In this sense, she is engaged in the work of ministry.

The Spitfire Grill
Directed by Lee David Zlotoff
Columbia Pictures, 1996
Length: 127 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Description: The State of Maine - with its many rural communities and working-class sensibilities - is an apt setting for this film. Hannah Ferguson (Ellen Burstyn) owner of The Spitfire Grill - the only place in the small town of Gilead to grab a meal - is an aging widow in need of help running her business. Enter Percy Talbot (Alison Elliott), who is fresh out of the Maine Correctional Center. The Sheriff accompanies her to Gilead and persuades Hannah to take Percy in as a border in exchange for help running the restaurant.

Like many small towns, when the locals begin to whisper in suspicion, Percy stops the rumor in its track, and announces that: yes, she has just completed a five-year sentence for manslaughter. Percy would probably agree with singer Aaron Neville that "Everybody goes to God when they go to jail." To be sure, while 'doing time,' Percy gained perspective on her life and was determined to be a beacon of hope for others. Meanwhile, Hannah's nephew, Nahum Goddard, is equally determined to run Percy out of town. But not so fast.

Hannah is growing fond of Percy, and due to an injury from a recent fall, she needs Percy as well. The problem: Percy cannot cook. Enter Shelby (Marcia Gay Harden), Nahum's wife, who appears at the restaurant - baby in tow - to help Percy; and by the end of the day, the Spitfire Grill is again serving up its usual fare to loyal customers. Eventually, as Hannah's leg begins to heal, she resumes some of her duties.

The town is divided against itself; people are grouchy, suspicious, and generally feel defeated as a community. For years, Hannah has tried to sell the restaurant, but she is sure that no one in town is interested in buying it. As the three women spend more time together, the bond between them is strengthened; their past and present lives are intertwined, and herein lies the power of the film. Among the ghosts that still haunt them are the circumstances of Percy's manslaughter conviction and a mysterious man who lives in the woods for whom Hannah leaves a sack of food daily.

Though she does not fully understand why Hannah wishes to sell the grill, Percy suggests that they launch a nationwide essay contest. For a $100 entrance fee, each contestant must articulate why they wish to be the new owner of the grill - and live in Gilead. When the letters and the money start to pour in, the bond between the three women and the community is strengthened. As they read the letters aloud and speculate about who should win the contest, simultaneously, they are deciding who the new stranger will be. Hannah places the cash in a safe daily. When the funds grow to more than $200,000, Nahum (who sees himself as Hannah's guardian) grows increasingly convinced that a large sum of money in the house with "a criminal" is a formula for disaster. When the money suddenly disappears and Percy is nowhere to be found, a manhunt begins -dogs and all - in hot pursuit of Percy. Shelby, who has come to know Percy like a sister, is the only one who is convinced of Percy's innocence. She finds Percy in the church - closed years ago and now the private sanctuary of the two women - in deep contemplation. Percy weeps as she reflects on her past: that she has killed her alcoholic stepfather who abused both her and her mother; regret, fear, and an assumption that God would never forgive her for the life she took in the abortion that left her sterile. As Shelby listened patiently, she knew that Percy was innocent of the crime for which she is the primary suspect. The resulting drama leads to Percy's death in the arms of the mysterious man in the woods.

To the Facilitator(s):

1. Other than a brief scene in which Percy sings a few lines of "Balm in Gilead," the film avoids "religious" words, nor is its setting or context "religious." Yet, it is a deeply religious film. Indeed, it was commissioned by Gregory Productions and financed by the Sacred Heart League, a Roman Catholic organization in Mississippi. Although the plot echoes New Testament themes, the story treatment is woven delicately.
2. Prior to the day of the event, watch the film closely at least once. Read the entire summary and discussion guide, as well as the process guide thoroughly. Decide how you will approach the session. The film description is for facilitators; but some facilitators have found it useful to read this aloud prior to the start of the film.
3. Begin the session with a welcome and a brief centering. You may use words of your own choosing or words from the "Reflections" that begin this series.
4. After showing the film, invite participants to take a five-minute break. For those who are unfamiliar with the song, you may wish to play "Balm in Gilead" using recorded music or a piano instrumental. One superbly performed version is by Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman ("Spirituals in Concert," Deutsche Grammophon, 1991).
5. Following the break, begin by asking if anyone needs clarification on any part of the story. Be prepared to discuss some of the major sub-themes. Participants may wish to "vent" and to engage in aimless discussion about the film. Given the time limitations, it is your task as a facilitator to guide the discussion to focus on questions about values, faith and religion-broadly defined.

Theological deconstruction:

Like Chocolat, the Spitfire Grill's central concern is the spirituality of hospitality - welcoming the stranger. The town of Gilead has given into small-mindedness, bitterness, a sense of isolation and fear. As such, it is in need of redemption - regaining vitality and strength, finding meaning in life through relationship, which becomes a sub-theme.

Hannah believes that none of the locals can or would buy the restaurant, and that no "outsider" would possibly be interested in living in Gilead. It is her accident that is the context for the community's renewal. Through her illness, Hannah is able to have a much-needed Sabbath, and an opportunity to build a relationship with Percy whose very presence is redeeming, not only for Hannah, but for the entire community. It is through the relationship of the three women (Hannah, Percy, and Shelby) that the idea of selling the grill through a national contest is born. In her own style, Percy trains the community in the spiritual art of welcoming the stranger. The letters that pour in to Hannah lead to unexpected excitement. Ultimately, the whole town becomes involved in the process of selecting who the new stranger, the new owner of the restaurant, will be.

For years, the church in the town square was ignored by church leaders and deserted by parishioners. Thus, it represents a closed system; the townspeople have closed in on themselves. From the beginning of the film, Percy exemplifies faith, hope, and love; but the townspeople have lost these qualities. Shelby introduces Percy to the abandoned church building as a private sanctuary. By the end of the film, the church is opened again - for Percy's funeral. Its grounds are then featured in the closing scene as the site of a picnic to welcome the new owner of the grill. Eventually - when the community takes control of its own destiny, becoming faithful, loving, and hopeful people, their spirit is reborn.

Discussion questions:

The following questions are designed to stimulate ideas for discussion. A contextual statement precedes some of the questions. Facilitators are encouraged to use their own words to convey the context and essence of the question, and to be attuned to the group's energy and interests. Use whatever approach you feel will promote a vibrant discussion. In other words, the following questions are offered as suggestions, but facilitators need not feel obliged to use them.

1. Have you ever known a prisoner or someone who served prison time? If so, how did you respond to the knowledge of their crime or conviction?
2. If you were the sheriff or mayor of a town like Gilead, how would you prepare the community to accept an ex-con like Percy? How would your community respond to a known ex-offender? How would you address the on-going stigma of a past criminal conviction for which the sentence has been completed?
3. With what character did you most relate? Why?
4. The Spitfire Grill subtlety weaves together issues of structural violence through the lives of three women: Percy, a victim of family violence who - perhaps in fear of her own life - killed the stepfather who abused her; Hannah, whose Vietnam Veteran son returned home shell shocked and became a hermit; Shelby, whose husband is verbally abusive and disrespectful. All this in a small community. How did the community see these issues faced by individual women? What is the role of forgiveness in the film?
5. How might this story have been different if the class status of the characters were different?

Closing thoughts: The Spitfire Grill is a familiar story. Indeed, it is a parable that mirrors Biblical parables. A stranger comes to town and is called to make the ultimate sacrifice. This sacrifice becomes a catalyst for revealing what needs to surface becoming a source of grace, hope, and healing in the community.

Process Suggestions for Film as a Theological Text

Getting Support: Some congregations already have (or have had) a "movie night" or similar program. If yours is one of these, assess to what extent this activity is institutionalized or can be adapted. You might consider, for example:

• How long the group has been in existence
• Average attendance and whether it has been regular or sporadic
• Whether the group is primarily a social activity, a reflective or religious experience?

Depending on how you answer these questions, you might do an informal survey to determine if there is sufficient interest in a thematic time-limited group with a structured discussion of ethical, spiritual, and/or religious themes in popular film.

If a movie or film program is a new idea for your congregation, identify the person responsible for adult programs or adult religious education and seek his/her support.

Group Composition: This program is designed for adults and high school students in many demographic groups with varied life experiences and for people who hold a variety of psychospiritual perspectives. It may also be of interest to a particular group (e.g., young adults, older adults, people with disabilities, people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender) that already has a meeting schedule that would accommodate the program.

Publicity: In order to plan, publicity for this program should be done at least six weeks in advance. Church newsletters and weekly bulletins are good places to start. These can be supplemented by adult religious education brochures or flyers posted on well positioned bulletin boards. If your congregation has a tradition of staffing a table during coffee hour, literature about the program-and a sign-up sheet are good publicity boosts.

Time and Place: Most of the films in this series are approximately two hours; several are longer. Because a significant block of time is needed, congregational film discussion groups work best on weekends unless the program is designed for retired people, stay-at-home parents, or others who may have daytime availability. Friday night seems to be more popular than Saturday; Sunday afternoon or early evening seems to work better than Sunday morning or late evening. Groups may meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly. If a biweekly or monthly option is selected, it is important that publicity is clear. Frequent reminders may be needed. We suggest a three- to four-hour time slot in order to accommodate the film showing, a short break, a meaningful discussion, and perhaps a meal. Where there are related themes (e.g., two films on the same subject), you may wish to schedule a Saturday or Sunday afternoon viewing for two films.

This program can take place at a congregational site or in a private home. If held in a private home, you should choose a location that is convenient and be sure that attention is given to transportation needs. You should also decide whether there will be one or several hosts; rotations relieve the burden on any one individual. Use your best judgment to determine which space best suits your needs. Consider factors such as the size of the group, portability of equipment, audio quality, comfortable seating, and lighting. If it is a daytime program, also consider whether the room can be darkened.

Leadership: This series can be led by a professional religious educator or a lay leader. Co-leadership offers diversity of gifts, style, and perspective and lightens the level of responsibility of one individual. If you choose co-leadership, intentionality around difference is desirable. The following qualities are important when selecting a leader for a successful program: willingness to prescreen and reflect on the films, and facilitation skills.

• Check your local library and video-rental store(s) as primary sources for obtaining films that are part of this program. If major video rental chain stores do not have a film in stock, they can sometimes order it for you. If you are having difficulty, please check with the UUA Department of Religious Education.
• Facilitators are encouraged to seek perspectives beyond this discussion guide. Periodicals, books, libraries, and the internet provide a rich variety of resources that may be helpful.
• Class size is optional. Film discussion groups have worked well ranging from five to twenty-five participants. Eight to fifteen seems optimal. Keep in mind that the greater the number of participants, the greater the chance for a free flow of ideas and real engagement with the subject.
• Motion pictures are protected by copyright laws. Profit-making organizations, as well as churches, and non-profit organizations, must adhere to these laws. Before showing any video, leaders should read the "fine print" for applicable copyright law. In general, video movies-even a clip-cannot be duplicated.
• Every program has associated costs, which participants are frequently expected to supplement. Requesting a "free will offering" or a "donation" is an easy way to recoup some of the costs associated with this program, such as the cost of video rental and snacks.
• Decide whether you want a centering reading and a closing reading. If so, keep them short-perhaps as simple as a candle lighting and extinction. Should you decide in the affirmative, one or more options are included with each series (see page 3 for Series I: Justice). Alternatively, dig into your own reservoir of spiritual resources.

Materials Needed:

• Chalice or candle and matches
• Video cassette player
• Television monitor
• Light refreshments (optional)
• Video (rental or purchase)

Advance Preparation:

• Several weeks in advance of the program, advertise the series (including the length of time) and post a sign-up or registration sheet. In the publicity or registration process, it is suggested that it be made clear that the event is not merely a movie; that participants are encouraged to remain throughout the three-hour period for the discussion.
• Reserve an appropriate room (a room that can be darkened is best) and request a television monitor and video cassette player to arrive at least one hour prior to the event. The monitor should be placed at or above the eye level of a sitting person.
• A day or two prior to the event, rent or purchase and preview the film privately.
• Review the film description in this packet. Study the discussion questions and modify them in ways that are comfortable for you.
• If possible, bring (or arrange for) snacks. Popcorn and soft drinks may provide a sense of familiarity, but other snacks will be appreciated as well.

Day of Event:

• Arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled event. Familiarize yourself with the equipment. Keep the remote control nearby in case the volume needs to be adjusted.
• If you are doing a centering, set up the chalice or candle. Arrange snacks on a table (preferably not positioned near the television monitor).
• Arrange the seating in a comfortable manner facing the television monitor. Chairs arranged theater-style and a combination of sofas and chairs informally arranged to face the monitor both work equally well. If you serve snacks that are available during the film, be sure that there is an aisle out of the line of sight of the monitor so as not to block the viewing range.
• Cue up the film to the opening credits and test the sound.
• Briefly review the film discussion questions provided in this packet. You may choose to review other materials about the film.
• When the event begins, welcome participants and open with a centering-a reading suggested in this packet or your own selection.
• If participants do not know each other, brief introductions are suggested.
• You may choose to ask how many have seen the film; or in the case of films based on a book, how many have read the book. This information may help you gauge the level of familiarity with the subject, writer, or director.
• A ten minute break is suggested at the end of the film. While intense discussion is not suggested until after the break, you may wish to leave participants with a burning question to ponder or simply ask them to reflect on how they felt at the end of the film. The break is also an opportunity to rearrange the seating so that participants can see each other.