The Lowell Film Collaborative is proud to premiere this highly acclaimed, locally filmed documentary as part of their spring lineup at the Lowell National Park Visitor Center in downtown Lowell. If you have not yet been introduced to director James Rutenbeck’s complicated and beautiful story, filmed in the City of Lawrence at Saint Patrick Parish, then please read on, learn more, and JOIN US as we welcome Mr. Rutenbeck for our screening of Scenes from a Parish on Tuesday, May 26 at 7PM.
Critical praise for Scenes from a Parish:
“The Vatican is trying to rouse Catholics’ ire toward Ron Howard’s upcoming ”Angels and Demons” without giving the blockbuster drama exactly the publicity it craves. Here’s an idea then: Steer the faithful, and everyone else, to Scenes from a Parish …. It raises more questions about the church’s place in a changing world — and touches more emotions doing so — than any big-budget studio folderol.” — Ty Burr, Boston Globe. Read the full review: Click here
“You don’t need to be religious to be moved by the spirit of Father Paul O’Brien, head pastor, a Harvard graduate who finds his calling amid the unemployed, in the poorest city by far in Massachusetts. Yes, there are problems at Saint Patrick’s: drugs, alcoholism, homelessness, and some resentment of the Hispanic newcomers from the aging Irish. But there’s hope, too, and parishioners turn their lives around, because Father Paul is an exemplary priest, and a movie hero as well.” — Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix. Read the full review: Click here
“Filmmaker James Rutenbeck’s newest film, Scenes from a Parish, is a deeply felt homage to the nuances of small town life and the role faith plays when meeting the challenges that life presents. In the rhythms and rituals of a Catholic church in a small New England town, we see how people face change while trying to maintain tradition. Rutenbeck’s immersion in the subject lends his film dignity and insight, allowing his viewers a fresh understanding of the complex interplay between faith and family.” — Cara Mertes, Director, Sundance Documentary Film Program
THE DETAILS:
Scenes from a Parish [2009]
Tuesday, May 26 @ 7PM
Lowell National Park Visitor Center
246 Market Street, Lowell
Special Guest: Director James Rutenbeck
Free admission
