DRAFT for discussion

Through the Lens of the Film Director: Exploring Religion and

Culture in the CEE through the Medium of Film
Summer school for students from Central and Eastern Europe
Faculty of Social Sciences, Pontifical University of St Thomas (Angelicum)
Sept 3 Sept 13 !1"
Programme Presentation
Looking through a lens highlights a part of the world, but in doing so it excludes other parts. When a film
director looks through his or her lens, s!he is making a choice about how to present our world, and, in a "er#
real wa#, is creating a world of his or her own within which to tell a stor#. Film is both a cultural artefact and a
medium through which we ma# reflect on culture and explore the role that religion pla#s in that culture. The
relation between religion and theolog# in particular! and culture is, perhaps, particularl# interesting in the $%%
region. We can get some insight into this b# &uoting from the $'ech theologian, ("ana )oble*
Looking back o"er the post+war period, it has to be admitted that in $ommunist %urope, there were not man# great
theologians . . . ,owe"er, there ha"e been numerous cultural contributions b# artists who succeeded in mediating
theologicall# rele"ant issues in their own languages of literature, music, fine art, theatre or film, and these ha"e
penetrated our cultures. These languages ma# not seem at first sight explicitl# theological and some degree of
translation between them and the language of theolog# is needed. )e"ertheless, the# absorbed and creati"el#
de"eloped the s#mbolism with which the ma-orit# $hristian tradition used to pass on its experience of .od . . .
("ana )oble, Theological Interpretation of Culture in Post-Communist Context: Central and East European Search for Roots,
Farnham, Ashgate, /010, p. "iii!
2ore on medium3 Films in $%%3!
This summer school aims to build on the /014 Rome summer school, which was a part of the research pro-ect
on 5The $atholic 6ni"ersit# between 7ecularisation and (dentit#8 $67(!. 9ne of the important issues that
arose out of that pro-ect, but which it was not possible to enter into in an# great detail, was the relation between
theolog# and the "arious other disciplines taught in the uni"ersit#. $onnected to this, we were interested in
whether a contextual theolog# could de"elop from this part of the world, akin to other contextual theologies that
ha"e de"eloped out of the li"ed experience of other parts of the world. (n this summer school we aim to start a
series of reflections on the interaction between theolog# and other bodies of thought, or, to put it briefl#,
between theolog# and culture. (t makes sense to do this with #oung people who are forming themsel"es to be
leaders in ci"il societ# in their home countries, either as $hristians or with a good understanding of the $hristian
tradition, so as to be able to draw on the resources it can pro"ide.
There are three main wa#s in which we hope to explore religion and culture through the lens of the film director.
9ne of these is b# examining how some particularl# influential directors from the region ha"e looked at religion
through their lens Tarko"sk#, :ieslowski!. Another is to look at certain religious themes such as the 5$hrist
image8! in a wa# that links to a particular cultural and national context $'ech republic!. A third wa# is to take a
sociocultural topic of importance in the region such as national identit# and nationalism! and see how religion
pla#s a role in films on this topic from a part of this region ex+;ugosla"ia!. (n the group work, there will be a
chance to expand on the topics and national contexts around a basic task that will be gi"en to all the groups.
(n this summer school, there is no special place gi"en to leadership in the sessions. ,owe"er, in presenting the
group work to #ou, we will discuss some wa#s in which #ou can practice leadership skills in the group.
Discussion of the films during the sessions of the programme will also allow leadership themes to surface.
Programme #rganisers
Sr Helen Alford !, <rogramme Director, Dean of the Facult# of 7ocial 7ciences FA77! at the <67T =
Angelicum, >4?! 4@0 A4A??@@, alfordBpust.it
Fr !iotr "r#s$tofia% !, chaplain, >C@! A?C AA4@D0, pio.kr#Bgmail.com
7ummer 7chool Assistant 77A! and <orticus 7cholarship holder,
Sr Sueli, ,ead of the <ensione of the 7alesian 7isters of the 7acred ,earts, >4?! 0A E0CD4?1A,
sacricuoriromaBlibero.it
&alerio !ierleoni' Ad(u)antes *L+S, finance and administration, 0A AE 0/ 44@, ad-u"antesBpust.it
1
DRAFT for discussion
!R,RAMME
(F )9 9T,%R <LA$% (7 ()D($AT%D, 7%77(9)7 AR% AT T,% A).%L($62 ()
A+LA -
Arri)als: .ednesda# Septem/er 0
Arri"als during the da#. For those who arri"e earl# enough, an e"ening meal will be
organised in a restaurant near the residence.
Da# 1: Thursda# Septem/er 2
#rientation an$ Stu$ent Presentations
0E.40 2ass at the residence
0@.CD Lea"e residenceF if possible, make a brief "isit to the church of 7an <rassede on the
wa# to the Angelicum
?.40 = 10.00 rientation to the programme, Sr Helen
Aims of the scholarship programme
(ntroduction to the programme, and to the master=doctoral presentations
<ractical details, especiall# regarding reimbursement of tra"el costs
(ntroduction to the Angelicum and the histor# of the building and the uni"ersit#
11.40 $offee break
1/.00 (ntroduction to group work and the final da#Gs presentations
1/.40 Lunch at the Angelicum
1C.00 <resentations b# 7tudents* stream 1 in aula ?, stream A in aula @
1A.00 $offee break
1A.40 <resentations continue
1@.00 7ession concludes
1?.40 Dinner near the residence, followed b# )ight <ra#er
Da# 3: Frida# Septem/er 4
Stu$ent Presentations continue
0E.40 2ass at the residence, followed b# breakfast
0?.40 <resentations b# 7tudents* stream 1 in aula ?, stream A in aula @
11.00 $offee break
11.40 <resentations b# 7tudents* stream 1 in aula ?, stream A in aula @
1/.40 Lunch at the Angelicum
1C.00 <resentations b# 7tudents* stream 1 in aula ?, stream A in aula @
1D.40 $offee break
1A.00 <resentations b# 7tudents* stream 1 in aula ?, stream A in aula @
1E.00 %nd of presentations
1@.40 Reception at the <olish %mbass# to the ,ol# 7ee3
)ight pra#er in pri"ate
/
DRAFT for discussion
Da# 0: Saturda# Septem/er 5
#pening up the Summer school theme% overvie&, a focus on 'ieslo&s(i an$ starting the
)roup &or(
0E.40 2ass at the residence, followed b# breakfast
0?.40 The 6nternational Catholic Media *et7or% 8Signis9 and Central and Eastern
European Film, Prof Akos Koacs! Pa"man# Institute of Communication and $edia
Studies! %udapest! and mem&er of Signis, followed b# discussion
10.CD $offee Hreak
11.1D Religion in the Films of "rs$#stof "ieslo7s%i, Prof $arek 'is! Professor of
Homiletics and $edia in the (acult# of Theolog#! )niersit# of *pole
1/.1D Response from an expert, or perhaps <iotr :r#s'tofiak, or an ambassador to the ,ol#
7ee Lithuania3! . . . and a short space for discussion most discussion of :ieslowski
will take place in the groups!
1/.CD Lunch at the Angelicum
1C.40 Theolog# and Film: Tips for Anal#sing Films from the !erspecti)e of Religion
and Theolog#, (r Ale+andro Crosth,aite *P! -ean of the (acult# of Social Sciences!
Angelicum, followed b# 6ntroduction to the group 7or% with Sr Helen
1D.CD $offee Hreak
1A.1D 7tart group work
1@.1D Lea"e for a pi''a at La Fraschetta in Traste"ere, followed b# )ight <ra#er with
7antG%gidio. .roup contacts please sit with Fr <iotr and 7r ,elen to discuss how their
group is going.
Da# 2: Sunda# Septem/er :
Time for *et&or( +uil$ing an$ )roup &or(
@.40 2ass at the residence, followed b# breakfast
10.00 .roup work at the residence I 77A will take the groups out for a coffee break around
11.40
14.00 Lea"e for lunch in a restaurant near the residence
Free afternoon
1?.40 Dinner near the residence, followed b# )ight <ra#er
During dinner, group contacts please sit with Fr <iotr and 7r ,elen to discuss how
their group is going.
Da# 4: Monda# Septem/er ;
,hrist images in ,-ech Films
0E.40 2ass, followed b# breakfast
0?.40 Christ images in C$ech Films, Iana .o&le! 'ecturer! Protestant Theological
(acult#! Charles )niersit#! Prague
10./0 Response from an expert, or an ambassador to the ,ol# 7ee . . . followed b#
discussion
4
DRAFT for discussion
11.00 $offee break
11.40 Screening of the Film <Forgotten Light=
14.40 Lunch in the Angelicum
1C.40 Discussion
1D.00 .roup work
1A.00 $offee Hreak
1A.40 .roup work
1E.40 7ession ends
1?.40 Reception at the $'ech %mbass# to the ,ol# 7ee3
)ight <ra#er in pri"ate
Da# 5: Tuesda# Septem/er -
Free .orning/ Afternoon on *ationalism an$ 0eligion% Films from the 1234ugoslavia
0E.40 2ass at the residence, followed b# breakfast
am chance to go to the <apal Audience 77A will organise this!, use the libraries, "isit
bookshops, do group work, "isit a monument . . .
1/.40 Lunch at the Angelicum
1C.00 Religion /et7een Conflict and *ational 6dentit#: films from the Former
>ugosla)ia $il+a /adoic! Post-doctoral researcher! )niersit# of Edin&urgh
1C.D0 Responses and discussion
1D.40 $offee break
1A.00 Screening of <!rett# &illage' !rett# Flame=
1@.40 Discussion
1?.40 Dinner at a restaurant near the Angelicum
/1.00 .roup work
//.00 )ight pra#er
Da# :: .ednesda# Sept 1?
Free morning/ Afternoon visit to the Pontifical ,ouncil for Social ,ommunications
Free morning Fr <iotr will sa# 2ass at E.40 for an# who would like to go!
am chance to go to the Jatican 7ca"i 77A will organise this!, use the libraries, "isit
bookshops, do group work, "isit a monument . . .
1/.40 Lunch at the Angelicum
1C.00 Lea"e for an afternoon organised b# the <ontifical $ouncil of 7ocial
$ommunications, one of the Jatican dicasteries. We will meet in the Jatican $inema.
1D.00 2eet with Fr <aul Tighe, 7ecretar# of the $ouncil, for a talk on The Church and
Social Media, followed b# discussion and the screening of some classic films from
the Jatican film archi"e
/0.00 Reception at the %mbass# of Hosnia and ,er'ego"ina to the ,ol# 7ee3 .roup
contacts to meet briefl# with Fr <iotr and 7r ,elen to discuss how their group is
going.
)ight pra#er in pri"ate
C
DRAFT for discussion
5ay 6% Thurs$ay Sept 11
A focus on An$rei Tar(ovs(y
0E.40 2ass, followed b# breakfast
10.40 $offee break, and return to the Angelicum
11.40 Religious themes and images in the films of Andrei Tar%o)s%#, Prof /o&ert %ird!
)niersit# of Chicago
1/.40 Response from an expert, or an ambassador to the ,ol# 7ee . . . followed b#
discussion
14.00 Lunch at the Angelicum
1C.00 Screening of Andre( Tar%o)s%#@s *ostalghia
1A.00 $offee Hreak
1A.40 Discussion
1E.1D .roup work
1@.40 7ession ends.
1?.40 Dinner in a restaurant near the residence, followed b# )ight pra#er. During dinner,
group contacts please sit with Fr <iotr and 7r ,elen to discuss how their group is
going
Da# -: Frida# Septem/er 13
)roup Presentations an$ ,onclusions
0E.40 2ass, followed b# breakfast
Free morning for final preparation of presentations
11.00 .roup <resentations* A K H
1/.40 Lunch
1C.40 .roup <resentations continue* $ K D
1A.00 $offee break
1A.1D 7umming up and conclusions
1A.40 7ession ends
1@.00 %"ening pra#er together, followed b# drinks on the terrace at the residence
1?.40 Dinner at a local restaurant
/1.00 .o to a hall for (rish Dancing with the (rish 2usic band
Departure Da#: Saturda# Septem/er 10
0E.40 2ass at the residence for those who can participate, followed b# breakfast
All summer school participants must "acate their rooms /# - am
D