Images for dialogue

The expression of faith through a powerful witness or an original experience, in an ecumenical context, at the “geographical” heart of Europe: that’s what happens every two years at the international Festival of films with a religious background, the “Prix Farel”, held at Neuchatel, in Switzerland, from 2 to 4 October. Thirty films were entered for this year’s award, subdivided into three categories (short, medium and long). Most of them are TV documentaries and reportages transmitted by European public and private television stations over the last two years. Of the films entered for the 21st prize, the ecumenical jury chose among the shorts a documentary called “A monastery at the heart of Islam”, while special commendation was given to the short film produced for Italian Swiss TV, “Adriana Zarri: female hermit in Piedmont”. In the “medium format” category the jury unanimously voted for “Angels”, while in the full length category the prize went to the French “In the shadow of the faith”. We interviewed Théo Péporté from Luxembourg, film critic of SIGNIS, the Catholic international association for radio, television and cinema, based in Brussels. Péporté was a member of the ecumenical jury comprising various European countries, including Italy, represented by SIR. How do films and television documentaries express the contents of the faith? “The cinema is one of the cultural expressions that most faithfully expresses the way we live and what we feel, our inner experiences. I am convinced that many films today contain a spiritual and religious dimension. This may not be immediately apparent, but it becomes so at least on a second viewing”. So what is the commitment of your association in this field? “For SIGNIS it’s important to work in this field to ensure that this cultural, human and spiritual dimension of contemporary films increasingly comes to the fore. We are especially present at the main film festivals, with some thirty Catholic jury members and those of other confessions, in Europe and in other parts of the world. The purpose is to give ecumenical prizes to promote these films in Christian environments, in cinemas and elsewhere”. Are films with a religious background still marginal in European public and private television channels or have they acquired value and visibility in recent times? “I don’t think they are marginal. We need to understand what is meant by a spiritual and religious dimension. Even in many films intended for the mass public there is often a very profound sense of the nature of the human being. Making these existential dimensions emerge is a good thing; as much as possible needs to be done to ensure that these messages reach all those who go to the cinema”. American productions have monopolised the world film market, with the risk of creating a uniform culture of thought. How, on the other hand, can we promote European productions? “European production is not so invisible. We all know that American production invests a lot of money in films and their marketing. But, on the other hand, the European film industry can claim products of excellent quality. So we need to formulate projects at the level of the European Commission and promote these films. Much already exists, but we need to be still more courageous and have no fear of entering into competition with the American cinema. The quality of European films is excellent”. Can experiences like the “Prix Farel” be considered as “basic ecumenism” or are they more focused on the artistic aspects? “We are in a different dimension, because here believers of various confessions meet together and discuss their productions. There is a similar experience between Protestants and Catholics in the German-speaking world, and shared projects in other countries too. I have taken part in meetings of this kind for some twenty years and I have the impression we have undoubtedly helped to create solid relations and fruitful exchanges between people, despite our obvious differences. I think these meetings help to promote ‘practical’ ecumenism within these groups of people”. So the experience of people of various confessions working together is in itself a small contribution to the construction of a more united and ecumenical Europe? “Yes, I think so, because the issues spoken of in these films, quite apart from their spiritual and religious dimension, are so universal as to show that the differences between us are more of a theological order, even if they exist and are real. So meetings like this are useful ecumenical projects in this field”.