Building a New World

"Building a New World" is a close-enough translation of "Un Mondo Nuovo da Costruire", the title of a new initiative taking place from Friday 2nd March at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.

The project, organised by the Greg's Interdisciplinary Center for Social Communications with the contribution of city authorities, focuses on film and the power film has to involve, communicate, pass on a message, capture the imagination and speak of spiritual, social and human issues.

As Jesuit Father Lloyd Baugh explains, the initiative celebrates the 30th anniversary from the foundation of the University's Center for Interdisciplinary Study of which he is part.

Father Baugh who teaches theology and social communications (specifically film studies) says this particular project instills a dimension of interdisciplinary study in all of the courses.

In his own courses, Father Baugh explains, he teaches theology using film texts: Christology through the "Jesus films", moral issues through the "The Decalogue" of Kieslowski, interreligious dialogue through a whole series of films from different religious traditions and so on.

He says the Rector the University, Father Dumortier has given an enthusiastic backing to the course and to the "Un Mondo Nuovo da Costruire" project.

And regarding the cycle of films Father Baugh explains that it consists in a four-part series which sees the participation for each film of a professor and one or two students who will comment and encourage debate after the screening. What's more, at least one of the people who are commenting are from the part of the world where the film was made and where the issue at hand is a burning one.

The projet follows on the heels of a successful event organised last Fall in which film was used as a central element and Professors from different faculties then commented on the screening, creating dynamic interdisciplinary events.

As regards the cycle of films starting on Friday 2nd March, the first event sees the presence in the Auditorium of the University Rector Father Dumortier, of Monsignor Claudio Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, of Father Savarimuthu, director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Gregorian University, as well as Father Baugh himself.

The theme the event has been built upon is that of "building a new world": a multi-cultural, multi-racial world, in which immigration and a changing social scenario have become a global reality.

Symbolically, the film chosen to inaugurate the series is entitled "Welcome" and centres on"the right to Welcome". The film focuses on a European story in which a young Kurdish boy attempts to illegally enter Great Britain, and in doing so encounters other people changing their vision of the world, and ultimately their lives. It's an-award winning 2009 film directed by Philippe Loiret.

The second film (which will be screened on 23rd March) focuses on Asia and on "the right to Freedom". The 2005 film "Water" directed by Deepa Mehta shines the light on the tragic reality of millions of young girls in India who are promised in marriage to elderly men and widowed when they are as young as nine or ten years old, leaving them few, terrible, options in which to live the rest of their lives.

The third appointment (on 20th April) sees the screening of "La Zona" dedicated to the "Americas" and to the "right to Justice". The dramatic film "La Zona" was directed in 2007 by Roderigo Pla' and speaks of the huge gulf between rich and poor in so many countries in Latin America and throughout the world.

Finally, the film chosen to represent Africa and "the right to Hope" is entitled "Son of Man" (on 4th May). It is a 2006 work by director Mark Dornford May and it is an actualisation of the Gospel Story. It takes the story of the Gospel and places the biblical reality we all know in the middle of a township outside of Cape Town, telling of a world permeated by violence. The Jesus of this film is a preacher of justice. He condemns violence and redeems that society by submitting to that violence, and ultimately breaking the cycle of violence.

Screenings are free and everyone is welcome. For more information www.unigre.it

Listen to the interview...