Religious life

Religious life captured on film

bytheviSioneDitorS THE DOCUMENTARY filmBro: Men with Hope to Bring looks at what makes the vocation of brothers distinct and explores the lives of brothers in the United States and abroad.

Few people outside of religious communities see what life is like inside, compelling documentary filmmakers to explore this rich subject. Here are some must-sees.

NEED SOMETHING new in your movie queue? From the comfort of your couch, learn about sisters and social justice, life in a cloister, the unique vocation of priests, what makes brothers distinct, the ups and downs of discernment, and the meaning of religious life.

SISTERS

Band of Sisters

Explores Catholic sisters and their work for social justice following the changes promulgated by the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of church leaders in the 1960s. Directed and produced by independent filmmaker Mary Fishman. 88 minutes, 2012. bandofsistersmovie.com.

Enter #485 at VocationMatch.com

“For Love Alone addresses the questions: Who is responding to the call and what contribution do their lives make?

For Love Alone

Examines contemporary women who have joined religious orders, addressing the questions: Who is responding to the call and what contribution do their lives make? Produced by Grassroots Films for the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious. 17 minutes, 2015. cmswr.org.

Radical Grace

Follows the story of three Catholic sisters staunchly dedicated to social justice. Created by writer and director Rebecca Parish, The Kindling Group, and Interchange Productions. 86 minutes, 2015. radicalgracefilm.com.

Sisters

Takes viewers into the lives of five American Catholic sisters, exploring faith, sacrifice, and the meaning of religious life. Produced by filmmaker Robert Gardner. 54 minutes. vimeo. com/71751194.

Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change

Traces the involvement of Catholic sisters in the civil rights move-

ment of the 1960s. Produced by Hart Films and Alabama Public TV. 57 minutes, 2007. home.earthlink. net/~sistersofselma.

No Greater Love: A Unique Portrait of the Carmelite Nuns

An intimate look at a year in the life of a cloistered Carmelite monastery in London. Produced by filmmaker Michael Whyte. 100 minutes, 2011.

Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America

Shows the role U.S. sisters have played and the impact they have made in shaping the nation socially, culturally, and spiritually. The film was part of a touring exhibit created by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious that traveled to museums throughout the United States. 60 minutes, 2011. lcwr.org/item/women-spirit-dvd.

PRIESTS

Fishers of Men

Depicts various facets of a priest’s life and explores the purpose of a priest’s vocation. Produced by Grassroots Films for the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. 18 minutes, 2006. vimeo.com/2845985.

Diocesan priesthood videos

Several documentary-style videos about priesthood, many of them professionally produced, are available at a website hosted by the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation

Enter #482 at VocationMatch.com

Directors. diocesanpriest.com/videos.

BROTHERS

Bro: Men with Hope to Bring

Looks at what makes the vocation of brothers distinct, exploring the lives of brothers in the United States and abroad. Directed, written, and edited by Holy Cross Brother Nich Perez, C.S.C., a teacher and filmmaker. 118 minutes, 2013. Brofilmhope.com.

Into Great Silence

A meditative look at life in the Carthusian monastery of the Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps, one of the world’s most ascetic religious orders. Directed by Philip Groning. 162 minutes, 2005. (Monks of the Carthusian order, as with many other men’s communities, include both priests and brothers.)

DISCERNMENT

The Calling

Looks at the joys and anxieties of a middle-aged woman and a young man, each of whom is discerning a vocation to religious life. Produced by independent filmmaker David Ranghelli. 77 minutes, 2013. thecallingdocumentary.com. =

rElatED articlEs: vocationnetwork.org, “Parent Resource: Family movie night,” VISION 2013; “Vatican list of 45 important films,” VISION 2014.