"The material in this film really fascinated me." -Wesley Morris, the Boston Globe
Throughout history, religious women and nuns in particular, have been allowed certain advantages over other women, while still being oppressed within their vocational pursuits. Nuns were taught to read and write. They were encouraged to pursue music, literature, and art, as well as philosophy and spirituality. They were officially allowed to escape the structured, powerless life of marriage.
But what would make a woman choose this life today? Some religious communities are even experiencing a rapid increase in applicants, despite all the opportunities open to women today. And what about Catholic women who seek expanded roles in the Church or who have different views on official Church positions in controversial areas like homosexuality, contraception, and the like? Given the antiquated, discriminatory position of the Catholic Church with regard to the ordination of women as priests and deacons and its other controversial conservative positions, why would any intelligent, evolved woman stay under its umbrella?
Through interviews with five nuns from two very different orders (Poor Clares and Maryknoll Sisters), a former nun, and a Roman Catholic Womanpriest, Women of Faith examines the choice to lead a profoundly religious life in the Catholic tradition in the post-feminist era.
Just as I explored sex work and feminism in my 2000 film, Our Bodies, Our Minds, I again try to present a picture of a different kind of feminism, by allowing my subjects to speak for themselves about their lives, their beliefs, and their choices.
Women of Faith was completed at the end of October 2008. To find out how to see the film click here. To meet the women in the film, click here.