Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast Church Teaching on Cinema: Vatican II and Beyond
Sep 9, 2024
Nathan Douglas, an expert on magisterial documents about cinema, joins Thomas Mirus to discuss the Church's evolving relationship with film from Vatican II and onwards. They explore how the Church shifted from celebrating cinema as a unique art form to viewing it within a broader media context. Key themes include the importance of media literacy for youth, the evolving criteria for artistic merit in Catholic film, and the need for artists to balance creativity with moral integrity. They also touch on controversies in Catholic cinema awards and the responsibility of filmmakers in contemporary culture.
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From Film As Art To Social Communications
- Vatican II shifted focus from film as a fine art to a broad category of 'social communications', loosening specific artistic engagement.
- That re-framing gained theological breadth but diminished film-specific artistic guidance for filmmakers.
Teach Media Literacy Early
- Train viewers, especially children, to read images and symbols critically so they resist manipulation.
- Teach media literacy in schools and families to develop sound judgment about film's symbolic language.
Artists Must Aim For Transcendent Beauty
- Populist commercial aims and avant-garde experimentation both risk degrading artistic and spiritual value.
- Popes and councils urged artists to aim for beauty and truth, avoiding fads and cheap expressions.
