About the Cinema Journey Film Series
The Cinema Journey Film Series is envisioned as a way to help people engage in their personal journeys of spiritual growth through the story-telling power of movies. An outgrowth of Shomrei Torah Synagogue’s Film Conversations, it is now an ongoing program at the HAMAKOM religious center in West Hills, CA. Since its inception in 2013, the film series has featured over 48 movies and has been attended by hundreds of participants over its twelve (and counting!) seasons. Spiritual growth requires a process of change and a shift in perspective that entails letting go of our egos and allowing our spirit-centered selves to emerge. Cinema Journey’s film conversations utilize the cinematic story-telling elements of light, color, action, dialog, character development, symbolism, cinematography and music to facilitate that change and shift in perspective. In this way, movies help us to step outside of our comfort zones and access our more authentic, inner truths, which, in turn, help us to move towards deeper relationship with each other, our communities, our planet, and the Divine (however we understand the Divine).
The Themes
Each season a particular theme is chosen that serves as the through-line for that season’s line-up of movies. While Cinema Journey's themes span a wide range of subjects, what they always have in common is an underlying element of the Jewish wisdom tradition. Themes have included Power: Bad Inheritance, The Evolution of Community, Creation, Honoring Parents, Listening, Middot, New Paradigms, Renewal of Spirit and Pillars of Value.
The Format
Four movies are selected each season, with each film portraying a different perspective on that season’s theme. Participants are asked to watch the films on their own, and then to attend the film conversation events for the discussions. The conversations, which are held either remotely via Zoom or live in-person, are hosted by Valerie Edwards. During each film’s conversation, Valerie invites the audience to delve deeply into the nuances of the film’s characters, plot-lines, cinematography, symbolism, music and dialog. Participants are invited to immerse themselves in the movie’s "world” and to see that world through the eyes of the film’s characters. Valerie’s lively, iterative, question-driven style creates a welcoming and inspiring space for audience members to explore and share their experiences of the film—and to discover in that film its underlying life lessons and hidden spiritual truths.
