Out in Our Faith: Sexuality, Film and Civic Engagement with Religious Communities,a free series of films and discussions, will explore the issues of sexual identity and religious beliefs. The series runs Oct. 8–Nov. 1, with films screened on Sunday and Monday nights followed by panel discussions on Wednesdays.
DU’s Center for Judaic Studies, the Iliff School of Theology, Hillel of Colorado, Jewish Mosaic and 32 other collaborating organizations will host the series, which is open to the public. The interfaith and intercultural films will illustrate how individuals and communities have committed to social justice and spirituality.
Center for Judaic Studies Director David Shneer says the series will highlight three issues: the tension between individual expression and community practice; the desire to belong to a community even as it struggles with an individual’s presence; and how religious communities deal with diverse sexual identities.
In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick’s Journey of Faith is a documentary that follows an American nun who ministers to gay and lesbian Catholics, but is ordered to stop her activities. Directed by Barbara Rick, the film chronicles Gramick’s story as she takes her case to the Vatican.
Screenings will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8 and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9. The Catholic community panel will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
Call Me Malcolm, directed by Joseph Parlagreco, is a documentary that tells the story of a transgender student at the Iliff School of Theology.
Parlagreco will provide commentary at film screenings at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15 and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16. The Protestant community forum will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Hineni (Here I Am): Coming Out in a Jewish High School, directed by Irena Fayngold, follows Shulamit Izen as she negotiates the conflict between tradition and modernity in her efforts to start a gay-straight alliance at Gann Academy, the New Jewish High School of Greater Boston. The documentary captures the community wrestling with the definition of pluralism and diversity in a Jewish context.
Gregg Drinkwater, executive director of Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, will offer commentary at screenings at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22 and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23. The Jewish community discussion will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
In award-winning director Macky Alston’s Questioning Faith, Alston turns his camera on religion at the dawn of the new millennium. He examines everyone from Buddhists to born-again Christians, atheists to orthodox Jews, to discover how people find meaning in life when nothing seems to make sense. Alston will give commentary at both film screenings and the panel forum.
Screenings will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29 and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30. A multi-faith community panel will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Sunday night films and Wednesday night panel discussions will take place in DU’s Davis Auditorium located in Sturm Hall at 2000 E. Asbury St. Monday shows will be at the Starz Film Center located at 900 Auraria Pkwy.