James Longkumer
Movies are a source of entertainment for many people around the world, whether young or old. But there are more to movies than being mere sources of entertainment! Movies are not simply a form of multimedia art and entertainment that tease our senses and make our adrenaline run high lasting for a couple of hours, but they are tangible on the entire divine and human narrative and convey more than what we see on the screen. Like many other mediums of popular culture, movies communicate ideas and worldviews about people, culture, history, work, beliefs, nature, and even the supernatural. By integrating the ancient art of storytelling with scientific techniques of filmmaking, movies as mediums of entertainment are also powerful means by which we can explore issues pertaining to life and broaden our exposure by providing alternate readings of life’s meaning. Movies play an increasingly significant role in defining both ourselves and our society. Movies also touch the core of human minds, sentiments, emotions, and actions and can influence what we think, how we feel, and what we do. Can Christians today then simply ignore movies?
The scenario of cinemas, films, and watching movies in a context like Nagaland, however, is a different story altogether. The general perception about movies among the Nagas (or better put, “Naga Christians”) is that, movies are amoral to lifestyle and spirituality! A lot of people still have the tendency to look at movies with suspicion, so much so that movies are perceived not only as a counter-culture to traditional social and cultural values but also as an anathema to Christian principles. It will not be an exaggeration to say that most Naga Christian parents, in addition to prohibiting their children against vices such as lying, stealing, and drinking, also instruct them not to step into a cinema or watch movies. “Good Christians do not engage in such ‘sinful’ pursuits,” is a conspicuous reason that parents would normally coach their children without actually not knowing where to draw the line between “good” and what really constitutes “sinful.” Many Christians grow up in homes believing that watching movies and going to the cinema is “worldly” and are often instilled in them the fear about what would happen if one were in a cinema when Jesus returned. But wouldn’t Jesus approve watching The Passion of the Christ in the cinema? The irony is that, most Naga Christian urbanites today have cable television at home with unlimited movies streaming in right through to their living-rooms and bedrooms. Not only that, the ubiquitous presence of VCD/DVD rental outlets in every nook and corner of the land bears a yet different testimony—that Naga Christians certainly do watch movies a lot!
Among the younger Naga generation, who does not know Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts or Jackie Chan or Michelle Yeoh or Shahrukh Khan or Aishwarya Rai? Or who hasn’t seen the The Lion King or the Titanic or been following the Star Wars saga? While the younger generation is in par with the rest of the world by embracing all kinds of popular cultures that are current throughout the world, whether movies, music, fashion, literature, etc., etc., nonetheless, we need a reorientation for a positive outlook towards films, watching movies, and going to the cinemas. While Nagas who live in metros in different parts of India and abroad have no qualms about going to the cinema, it is not quite the same in native Nagaland. Some scorn moviegoers as “sinners,” while others label them as “cheap.” Such scorns and labels often come out of misgivings about watching movies or going to the cinemas. Admittedly though, there are also other factors which inhibit movie fans from going to cinemas in Nagaland. The fact that there aren’t a whole lot of movie halls in Nagaland, Dimapur can at least boast of four cinemas which screen regular shows. Unfortunately, a fifth one which was one of the better cinemas closed down several years ago. Poor maintenance and unhygienic facilities compounded by rowdy social etiquettes of moviegoers are some of the reasons which deter people from going to the cinemas in Nagaland. Alongside these, poor selections and imports of movies, mostly “bollywood” films, also account for people not frequenting the cinemas. It is high time that people in Nagaland deserve movie halls which maintain standard (not necessarily world class!) facilities and social decorum. Private entrepreneurs among the Nagas who are culture conscious must venture on this enterprise for the sake of the younger Naga generation who must remain in tune with popular cultures that are pervasive throughout the world. There are those who will prefer watching movies in the privacy of their homes and facilities, but the sheer experience of watching a movie in a movie hall cannot be contested!
It is true that a lot of Christians frown upon movies for sanctioning crass materialism, sexual permissiveness, graphic violence, and self-indulgent hedonism. Despite such projections in films, we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater, because movies deal with the world we live in and are tangible on real human conditions, including the full spectrum of evil which is a result of our fallenness. We do not necessarily have to swallow all that is being fed to us, but must view movies judiciously and receptively rather than being totally censorious. There are many good movies that can be watched redemptively. Most movies are educative and enlightening and can even strengthen our faith. We can no longer ignore movies simply because we are Christians, but must learn to enter into conversation with films. Although we may be watching a movie silently in a theater or at home, we must engage ourselves with the movie in a dialogical manner. We cannot be simply passive movie watchers. For movies also seek to engage us and invite and demand from us our responses. If people watch movies for the sake of pure entertainment, surely they will not be disappointed when they suspend their disbelief for a couple of hours. But they will remain impoverished when engagement with the movie and its relation with everyday life, work, relationship, and spirituality is ignored. We may also want to share with others our reactions and responses about a particular movie. Christians must find opportunities to connect and engage with others through the medium of movies. Movies can lead to fruitful conversations about common concerns, passions, and dreams, eventually giving rise to discussions on social, ethical, philosophical, and spiritual matters. Movies can therefore be a powerful medium for community building as well.
For many Christians though, conversation with movies may sound naïve, let alone find connection with our faith and beliefs. It is to rectify this misgiving about watching movies that we might want to reconsider about entering into conversation with movies that goes beyond mere entertainment, so that we can engage ourselves in this alternate form of storytelling—corporeally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually! Not many have developed the skills of movie watching so as to engage with movies meaningfully. Still fewer reflect spiritually for a possible divine encounter and do not realize how God might be using movies to reveal something to us. Many Christians simply assume that movies are not the context for discussing God and spirituality. Watching movies can be a setting not only to know about God but to know God as well. Like many other forms of art, movies can help us to actually experience God. And movies are capable of precisely doing this with an artistic power unique to their medium. Though many Christians watch films, seldom do they try to relate what they see on the screen to their faith. The credulous perception after all is that, faith is one thing, and film, another.
(to be continued)
James Longkumer is a student of Theology
