JESUS CAMP, 2006, United States, 87 min.
Language(s): English Genre: Documentary
Release Data: January, 2007
Selected Recognitions: Nominated for Best Documentary Oscar®, 2007
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Director(s): Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka)
What It's About: The riveting story of Pastor Becky Fischer and the evangelical Christian summer camp she runs in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. The camp, called Kids on Fire, teaches children the rudiments of becoming soldiers in "God's army." Fischer believes that these youngsters can be taught to become strong and courageous warriors in the crusade against the liberal forces that have brought America down and to "reclaim America for Christ."
What to Look For: This is a world where Harry Potter is evil and the traditional Protestant churches are seen as "dead churches…where Jesus doesn’t visit" These children weep and speak in tongues as they are seized by the Holy Spirit. Indoctrinated when they are most impressionable (under 13 and preferably between 7 and 9), these children are being groomed to be God's Army, which will change the world. At home the majority are home-schooled by evangelical parents who teach them creationism and dismiss science, assuring them, for example, that global warming is not true. At Kids on Fire, we see them in camouflage and face paint, equipped with heavy wooden swords, practicing war dances and making straight-armed salutes reminiscent of Hitler Youth. Fischer says she wants them to know God's love, but the images she gives the kids bespeak fear.
Appreciate the way the filmmakers never comment directly on what is happening but leave you to decide on how much manipulation is taking place at the hands of parents, church and community based on what they document on-screen.
And, watch for the commentary from Air America Radio talk show host Mike Papantonio, a liberal Methodist who provides a counterpoint in his interview with Pastor Fischer.
Why It Matters: This film takes us into the inner workings of the Christian conservative movement, which appears to differ little from the much-publicized Al-Quaeda madressa schools which indoctrinate young Islamists with the principles of fundamentalism and prepare them for Holy War. As Ms. Fischer sees it, the growing evangelical movement in the United States will one day end the constitutional ban separating church and state, and these children will be marching at the forefront of a culture war that is already supported by some 30 million Americans. Are we about to see a right-wing version of Mao Zedong's puritanical youth army, the Red Guards? As the New York Times reviewer of this film puts it: "Nowadays the possibility of a right-wing Christian American version of what happened in China no longer seems entirely far-fetched." This film is as important for you to see in relation to the fight for America’s soul as Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is for global warming
Themes: Political Commentary
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