I certainly feel as though I got the most out of the experience. As has become my tradition, I took in multiple films with multiple people which, to me, adds to the week. Honestly, the movies are great... but the discussion afterwards is what puts this over the top for me. Without the interaction, so much gets left in the theatre... but with it? That's when God really opens up space for spiritual challenge and shaping. Thanks to everyone who came with me.
Sometimes, when it comes to picking films, it really does seem like you're throwing darts at a dart board. With so many films to choose from, you never really know what you're going to experience at TIFF. Add in the fact that there wasn't a whole lot of Oscar buzz beforehand this year--unless your name is Clooney--and selecting one's schedule can create wild picks and combinations. Still, I'm constantly amazed that God seems to use these experiences and, as a result, themes/issues are mashed up in ways that I would never have expected.
So, with that in mind, I think it would be worthwhile to collect my thoughts and speak to the issues that I grappled with in this year's edition of TIFF...
Better get comfortable.
This may take a while. (In fact, it'll likely take several blog posts...)
To get us started, one key theme that emerged from TIFF this year for me is that the creative impulse comes from God. This 'inspiration from the Divine' was most evident to me in Davis Guggenheim's U2 documentary, From the Sky Down. Rather than attempt to tell the story of the band's entire 36 year history, Guggenheim opts to take a more focused look at the creation of their album Achtung Baby (1991) and the early years of the band leading up to it. Choosing to tell the story in this way frees Guggenheim to really focus on the creative process and explore the psychology of the members of the band during Achtung's inception. It's here that From the Sky Down becomes most poignant. Bono refers several times to the Spirit that descends when music is brought to life. As he describes the creative experience, he recalls that, "when the Spirit is in the room, you know it." To Bono, the music comes from another place and the effect is Divine in nature. (Even the film's title, From the Sky Down, speaks to the band's belief that their inspiration descends upon them from a more spiritual place.) Although Guggenheim doesn't directly speak to the creative power of God, there is little doubt that Bono et al. believe that He is present in their artistic expression. Through moments like the creation of "One", the band speaks to how the development of their music comes from somewhere else, as if they are merely the vessels through which it is released.
What I didn't expect, however, was that this theme of the Divine nature of the arts also came through the character of the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) in Roland Emmerich's Anonymous. In Anonymous, Emmerich explores the theory that Shakespeare was incapable of having written any of the works credited to him because he was likely functionally illiterate due to his lack of social status. Instead, the film suggests that Edward DeVere, 17th Earl of Oxford, is in fact responsible for such works as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. In addition, however, the film also suggests that there was a great deal of controversy surrounding the arts at this time, ironically stemming from the Church and issues of social status. (After all, the arts were 'for the peasants'.) In an effort to refrain from spoilers, I can say that, under these circumstances, DeVere is under tremendous pressure to distance himself from his writings and offers his works to another to claim as their own. Interestingly though, he cannot fully separate himself from his artistic expression. Although there are some members of the Church who oppose the arts (claiming that it leads to fornication and debauchery), it is interesting that the vast majority of people believe that it's a powerful art form. In fact, DeVere even states that he cannot stop writing because he has all these stories and characters in his head that need to be put to paper. "Only then," he claims, "do I have peace." For DeVere, to create art is to bring to life what has been given to him. It's not a hobby. It's a spiritual experience. Like Bono argues, it's from somewhere else: a gift from God.
In both of these cases, the reality of God's involvement in the arts is significant and shines through beautifully. That is not to say that all art glorifies God. That would be naive. However, I would suggest--as I have before--that the very fact that we have the ability to create is an expression if the imago Dei (image of God) that He instilled in us at our creation. Further, as has so often has been the case in my own life, there is always something spiritual that can be grappled with in the arts, be it film, music or other areas. God cares about the arts... and plays a starring role in its inception.
Interestingly enough, mixed in with these ideas comes the notion that God speaks into our world today. In particular, this message becomes most clear through the Duplass Brothers' comedy Jeff, Who Lives at Home. This film focuses on the story of Jeff (Jason Segel), a 30-year-old man who lives in his mother's basement. With no job and no prospects, Jeff spends his days smoking pot and looking for signs from 'the Universe' to lead him forward. Similar to Bono's understanding of the Spirit's role in creativity, Jeff is a firm believer that we can have a connection to something larger than ourselves. The best example of this comes in the film's opening moments when Jeff receives a phone call for someone named Kevin. Because he doesn't know anyone by that name, he assumes that the sheer oddity of the situation must carry with it special significance. You see, for Jeff, purpose and fulfillment can be found only when one is willing to follow when the universe calls (or, in this case, dials a wrong number). Thus, Jeff sets off on a journey to discover the meaning of the mysterious connection between himself and 'Kevin'.
Ironically, despite the fact that his character is the least successful and has the least amount to 'show for' his life, Jeff is also the only one who appears to be even remotely satisfied with his existence. Sure, he's looking for the 'missing piece' to his humanity... but he realizes that it lies outside of himself and what the world has to offer. Similar to both Bono and DeVere, when the Universe (or 'Spirit', for our purposes) is in the room, you need to pay attention. What's more, this theology is actually jarring to his materialistic brother (Ed Helms) and socially-imprisoned mother (Susan Sarandon), who both want him to 'get his act together'. However, by contrasting the pseudo-spiritual Jeff with the emptiness experienced by the rest of his family, the film invites the viewer to explore the very motivations that our society bases itself upon. Sure, Jeff is a loser by society's standards... but he's also the closest to a sense of peace and spiritual meaning.
Without naming him as such, Jeff understands that it is God who speaks something new into the world. Something impregnated with the ability to bring new life and wholeness to the troubled soul.
Still, today, God creates.
And, like both Bono and DeVere, he knows that it means something.
