July 28, 2010
Archbishop, actor Betts to discuss violence in movies
By John Gleason
Violence in motion pictures will be the topic of discussion when Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., sits down with Denver actor Donnie L. Betts at 7 p.m. Aug. 12 to share ideas in Colorado Cinema Salon, a new program presented by the Denver Film Society and hosted by critic and filmmaker Robert Denerstein.
The monthly programs will feature fast-paced discussion of movies (possibly including clips from several motion pictures) focusing on a selected topic pertaining to film. Each session will include audience participation, and question and answer periods. The topic of the Aug. 12 event is, “Blood on Our Hands: Morality and Violence in Movies.”
Denerstein, who covered film for the Rocky Mountain News for nearly 30 years, said the purpose of the Salon is to broaden the discussion of issues in motion pictures by involving people both inside and outside of the Colorado film community.
“We want to give audiences a chance to interact with participants in a relatively informal setting,” he said. “We don’t entirely know what will happen, and we think that’s a good thing. We do believe that bringing disparate voices together can at least begin to shed new light.”
Denerstein said Archbishop Chaput was asked to participate because he pays attention to culture and current trends and is not afraid to comment on them.
“He’s also knowledgeable about film, and I think he can help us to think about the ways in which we react to films,” Denerstein said. “Why, for example, some forms of violence on screen can be viewed as art while others fall into a morass of exploitation and abasement.”
Archbishop Chaput, an avid movie fan, said that talking about motion pictures and learning about them from others, is part of the overall enjoyment of the cinema experience.
“Film is an important part of popular culture, and popular culture helps shape the way we perceive the world,” he said. “So every sensible person, and especially people of faith, should take an interest in understanding how our entertainment colors our thinking.”
The Sept. 23 program will feature award-winning filmmaker Daniel Junge (“They Killed Sister Dorothy”) and Colorado State Sen. Michael Johnston discussing the personal connections audiences make with movies (“The Movies in My Life”). The Oct. 14 discussion featuring programmers of this year’s Starz Denver Film Festival will offer insight into aspects of film festivals, including why films are accepted, or denied participation (“Festival Programmers on the Hot Seat”).
Colorado Cinema Salon programs will take place in Gallery 30 at the Starz FilmCenter, 900 Auraria Parkway in Denver. Tickets are $9.75 per person, $7 for members of the Denver Film Society. For more information, call the Denver Film Society at 303-595-3456 or visit www.denverfilm.org.
BLOOD ON OUR HANDS
What: Colorado Cinema Salon film discussion
Who: Archbishop Chaput, Robert Denerstein, Donnie L. Betts
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 12
Where: Starz FilmCenter, 900 Auraria Parkway, Denver
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