Proposal

Signs of the Times: Exploring the Social Mission of the Catholic Church
Social/Religious
Documentary Proposal:
Director: Patrick Brown
Camera: Greg Krajewski
JVC GY-HM100 /HD Digital Camera /Solid State(SD) capturing
Length: 20 Minutes (max)

"Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching. More fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately understand that the social teaching of the Church is an essential part of Catholic faith. This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to the demands of the Gospel. We need to do more to share the social mission and message of our Church."

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions#
- U.S. Catholic Bishops

WORKING HYPOTHESIS AND INTERPRETATION
The Catholic Church has received less than favorable press in recent years. In the minds of many Catholics and Non-Catholics alike, there is a view that the Church is a relic, a leftover from a simpler and backward time. This film will explore the lives and work of people who see a deep commitment to social justice as an essential part of their Catholic faith.

TOPIC
The main idea is the exploration of what it means to be Catholic within this particular circle. Through these stories we will explore the challenges of a life committed to God and the convictions that drive their lifestyle. The film will exam how this idea fits in with the broader Church, it’s importance for the world, and its effect of the future of Catholicism.

ACTION SEQUENCES
Introduction:
2 Minutes
The film will begin with a brief history of Catholic Social Teaching and relevant movements within. This will establish ecclesialogical credibility to the convictions and beliefs of the characters.

Chapter 1:
4 Minutes
After some context is established, the characters will be introduced and begin talking about growing up and being Catholic. The main focus of this section is to explore the relative presence of the Church’s social mission in early catechism and general Church culture. This will involve talking about attitudes and ideas held by the subjects throughout their developing years.

Chapter 2:
6 Minutes
This section will explore the subjects’ current situation. This will explore why they are in their current job or vocation and how they try to live out the social call of the Church. Here I want to establish the logic behind making the choices that these people did. I also want to show the journey of faith that leads people here.

Chapter 3:
5 Minutes
Next, we will talk about justice and faith. What is the connection? Why is Justice significant for Catholics? What does social justice mean? What is your faith life like, how do you practice your faith? Do you feel like you are minority within the Church as to how you feel about social justice? Do you think more people should be doing something for Justice? In what ways can that be done? Is there Resistance to those ideas, and if so why? I also want to show them interacting with the specific demographics that they serve. I want to explore their particular experiences and how that has affected their faith life. What is different about doing Justice from a Catholic perspective as opposed to a secular one?

Conclusion:
3 Minutes
Finally, we will explore the goals of these people and their organizations. What are they looking to achieve within their communities, within the world? What is their vision of the future?

MAIN CHARACTERS
Subjects:
Br. David Darst Center
- A retreat center focused on educating young people about issues of faith and social justice.
Chuck Hendricks
- Works for Unite Here as a Union Organizer and converted to Catholicism in spring of 2010.
Marge Nykaza
- Founder and Director of Harmony Hope and Healing, a ministry to homeless and formerly homeless people focused around music.
Mary Armato
- Executive Director of Port Ministries which provides services to poor and homeless individuals.
White Rose Catholic Worker
- 5 people who live in an intentional community in Rogers Park. Seek to promote Justice and peace in everything they do.

CONFLICT
These people often find themselves between a rock and a hard place. On one hand you have a secular world in which people are apathetic and those that do work for social justice are often anti-theistic. On the other hand, the Catholic Church, in some people’s minds, has been domesticated and the people who are faithful do not see the need for social action based in that faith. To the former, these people are often seen as Jesus freaks and to the latter, they are radicals who are threatening the Church and watering down the meaning of faith. While trying to transform the world, they sometimes find the most resistance within their own parishes, families and communities.
The conflict is also internal because whenever one engages in justice work or deals with large social issues, it can be overwhelming. To stay sane, these people have to come to terms with their own limitations. They also have to recognize their shortcomings and learn to deal with those. None of these people would say they have all of the answers, so they need to constantly challenge their own decisions and actions.

AUDIENCE BIASES
There are two audiences that will view this film. The first is the Catholic one. These are people who probably think they know a lot about Catholicism and what it means to be Catholic. I have encountered people who have attended Catholic School since they were five and still know very little about the social doctrine of the Church. The second audience is the non-Catholic one. These are people who are potentially wary of the Church. They see an organization that preaches a preferential option for the poor, while the leader wears Prada slippers. I would hope to address their concerns but also expand how the Church is viewed, not as a group of old white men in white robes but a diverse body of human beings working to make the world more just. For both, this film should help them to reexamine how they understand the Church and society.

STRUCTURE
The structure will present the lives of these people starting with their journey to their current vocation. Each character will bring a different story of struggle and discovery that lead them to a life of faith committed to social justice. As the film progresses, we will discover the work that they do and its connection to their faith. We will see the people that they work with and how they feel about the subjects. This will show a human connection. These people not only seek to combat social injustice but also develop a strong sense of community and human dignity.

FORM AND STYLE
We will be shooting this film, in many ways, guerrilla style, with the focus being on the reality of these situations without making anything look too staged or produced. Through the interviews and B-Roll of these people in action, I foster the feeling of a conversation happening. Because of this I am going to try to avoid the conventions of most religious documentaries including avoiding interviewing in a Church or having stained glass behind them. The subject manner demands locations that are comfortable and so we will be filming primarily in people’s homes or where they work. I do not want to show these people as pious religious recluses but as people directly engaged in the world. The purpose of the film is not to provide any answers but instead to engage the audience in a conversation.

EXHIBITION GOALS
I would like to take the film to a series of festivals over the course of the year following the production. This will help generate interest and give credibility to the film. Though the widest audience possible is ideal, I am making this film so that churches, classrooms, and organizations can use it as a tool for generating discussion and creating initiatives around these ideas. The goal is to expose people, both inside and outside the Church, to this interpretation of the gospel and its connection to the Catholic faith.

RESOLUTION
The end is ultimately about leaving the audience with a sense of hope. For so many people within the Church, it feels like an immovable piece of their lives that is the source of either boredom or frustration. I don’t want this film to solve anything but instead stir questions and possibly excitement. This film should show people that there is hope and that another way is possible. Church can be something more than a place to visit on Sunday morning. Ultimately, it should stir something within the minds of the audience and leave them with a need to seek out their faith or the Church in new ways.