independent film – Page 8

Belize Benefit Screening of “The Enemy God”

Folks in Belize are rightly proud of the work they did on our film, The Enemy God. We’re pleased that they’ve selected the film as part of this special benefit festival. This is from a note we received this week from the festival Director:

THE RADISSON FORT GEORGE HOTEL, THE BELIZE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL and the NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CULTURE AND HISTORY are collaborating to present a selection of films made in Belize – during the month of September, 2010 – which as you know is a month of national pride for us. All entrance proceeds from this screening will go to the Stella Marris School of Special Education in Belize City.

Your film THE ENEMY GOD has been pre-selected to be a part of this special screening.

The work our K’ekchi’ Maya actors and our many other Belizean crew members did on the film is a testimony to their creativity and dedication. As indigenous people, constantly looked down-upon by others, our friends told us that the film proves that the K’ekchi’ are capable of great things. Now, once again, the people of Belize will have a chance to see the fruit of our labors together.

Too Harsh? Or…

…movie reviews: ______ didn’t have people living Christian lives. Therefore, ______ stinks. Also, there is swearing.

I saw this tweet yesterday from @cinexcellence: “WORLD magazine movie reviews: ______ didn’t have people living Christian lives. Therefore, ______ stinks. Also, there is swearing.”

I’ve been on the receiving end of good and bad reviews for my film work. In some cases, Christian reviews do seem to take this rubber-stamp, reactionary approach. In other cases, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by reviews – from very conservative audiences – that let me know that they understood the film, what we were trying to accomplish, and why it contained ‘objectionable’ elements. [“The Enemy God” has nudity, violence, drug use, occult practices – the whole deal – within the context of a highly redemptive and God-honoring story.]

My favorite is when we get something like a ‘highly recommended’ but a 2 out of 5 rating. The ratings are based on content elements that may offend people. But the film is excellently done and compelling! I think that’s an OK place to be.

How Mobile Technology is a Game Changer for Developing Africa

I find myself constantly amazed by how technology is permeating even the most remote places on the earth.

I’m think pretty well-traveled, but I find myself constantly amazed by how technology is permeating even the most remote places on the earth. Of course, there are still very isolated cultures, but our image of places like Africa may be way off.

I saw this article the other day that talks about how different organizations are using mobile phone technology for education and development work in Africa. You may be surprised at what they are doing in places that are far from urban tech centers.

Read about it here: How Mobile Technology is a Game Changer for Developing Africa.

Related to this, here’s a link to explain Why I’m Going To Tanzania (leaving today) from an earlier post here on this blog.

The Second Trail – God Behind The Scenes

It was about a dream fulfilled and a God who made it all come together. I couldn’t put it down!”

“This book is an exciting adventure in the art of filmmaking in a challenging environment and among diverse cultures. It was about a dream fulfilled and a God who made it all come together. I couldn’t put it down!” – Lita Stang

Sometimes, the stories behind a film equal the drama and emotion of the film itself. The making of our film, The Enemy God, has those kinds of stories behind it. Now, in a new book, Amber Castagna, one of the crew members on the film, captures the drama, the joys, the pain, and the miracles we saw in bringing one of God’s stories to the screen.

Amber has written her own account of the film in this new book, The Second Trail. We’re happy to be making it available alongside the DVD of the movie and some other books that tell about what God has done among the Yanomamö of Venezuela. You will be amazed and encouraged by this book!

Click here to check out the book: The Second Trail – The Making of A Yanomamö Film « The Enemy God – The Movie.

One of the Most Unique (and Engaging) Movies Ever Made

I felt as if I was living inside the body of a Yanomamo tribesman. Honest — this movie is stirring.

It’s always nice to hear endorsements of your work from people you really respect. Doug Lucas is is very involved in cutting-edge training and information related to seeing the gospel transform every culture. He publishes a weekly e-mail update with news of all kinds at Brigada.org. Here’s a review of our film, The Enemy God, that Doug wrote recently.

“Yai Wanonabalewa (The Enemy God)” has to be one of the most unique movies ever produced… and it’s now been released on DVD.

Hear me well: This is an intense film… It is sometimes graphic, sometimes heart-wrenching, but always engaging. My advice for professors of seminary classes looking for something related to spiritual warfare, anthropology, world religions, and Cross-cultural communications: Run, don’t walk, to order a copy. To anyone working in folk religions, you finally have an inside view to what goes on “inside their heads.”

I can’t even put into words the “point of view” from which the story is told… because it seems to be totally Yanomamo… cross-cultural. I felt as if I was living inside the body of a Yanomamo tribesman. I spent much of my time fearing what might come next. Honest — this movie is stirring. If you have a missionary working among tribal peoples, this will give you a new perspective on prayer and its potential to make a difference. Don’t expect a heart-warming, feel-good story like something from a Disney kids’ film. Expect to be sobered. Expect to experience a perspective you’ve never felt before.

Read the whole article from Brigada.org here: One of the Most Unique (and Engaging) Movies Ever Made.

Voice of the Spirit from the Amazon

What can we learn from our indigenous brothers and sisters who have discovered the truth about the Enemy God?

What can we learn from our indigenous brothers and sisters who have discovered the truth about the Enemy God? Come learn for yourself at two special screenings of Yai Wanonabälewä: The Enemy God, April 13 in Chicago and April 16 & 17, in Southern California. Click here for more information.

Imagine a true story that addresses the deep issues of life; does the spiritual world exist and how can I know the truth about it? How do we deal with ideas that threaten and change who we are as a community? Of all of the spiritual voices that speak to us, is there One that should be obeyed above all the others? The Enemy God is a film that tells that story in a way that is attracting audiences who would never see a typical Christian film.

In this award-winning motion picture of life and death in the Amazon rainforest, The Enemy God recounts the life of Shake, an extraordinary Yanomamö shaman. His interaction with the spirit world gives us an astonishing insider’s look at what is taking place in the spiritual battle for his people. It exposes the reality and deception of demons in the spirit world and vividly demonstrates how the gospel transforms a culture.