Jesus Camp with Cinema Politica

WHAT: Documentary screening with speakers
WHEN: Monday, February 26 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Room H-110, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve
COST: Free or by donation
INFO: www.cinemapolitica.org

The last film on J.C. with so much hype was the gratuitously violent and ultimately divisive Passion for the Christ by renowned racist Mel Gibson. Consider that the past. Cinema Politica promises to bring you something much more dynamic, engaging, political, and yes for some, down right frightening. Behold Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s JESUS CAMP. We’d like to especially thank the filmmakers for being so accommodating with this screening, and regret that they are unable to actually attend the event due to the film’s nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards the night before our screening. Come early, we’re anticipating a packed house.

USA / 2006 / 88 min

JESUS CAMP (Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady) is a documentary about the “Kids On Fire” summer camp, located just outside Devils Lake, North Dakota and run by Becky Fischer and her ministry, Kids in Ministry International. The film focuses on three children who attended the camp in the summer of 2005–Levi, Rachael, and Victoria (Tory). The film cuts between footage of the camp and a children’s prayer conference held just prior to the camp at Christ Triumphant Church, a large charismatic church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri; a suburb of Kansas City.

All three children, despite their youth, are very devout charismatic Christians. Levi, who has ambitions of being a pastor, has already preached several sermons at his suburban Kansas City church. Early in the film, he is watching a cartoon that preaches that Earth is 6,000 years old. He is homeschooled, and learns physical science from a book that attempts to reconcile the creationist account with scientific principles. He preaches a sermon at the camp in which he declares that his generation is a key to Jesus’s coming back. Rachael is seen approaching a woman and offering her a Christian tract and telling her that God has a special plan for her. She is somewhat disdainful of non-charismatic churches, feeling that they aren’t “churches that God likes to go to.” Early in the film, she is seen praying over a bowling ball. Tory frequently dances to Christian heavy metal music, and feels somewhat uncomfortable about “dancing for the flesh.” At the camp, Fischer stresses the need for children to purify themselves in order to be used by God. She strongly believes that children need to be in the forefront of turning America back to conservative Christian values.

For complete synopsis, full credits, and to watch the fabulous trailer, visit the JESUS page.

Ezra Winton
Director, Cinema Politica Film Network &
Programmer, Cinema Politica Concordia
http://www.cinemapolitica.org

Submissions:
Cinema Politica Submissions
P.O. Box 55097 (Mackay)
Montreal, Quebec
H3G 2W5