When we attend (a good word that means to be present, to heed, to pay attention to) a film, we go with open minds and receptive hearts. We remind ourselves to be hospitable, approaching it without expectations, just as we would a person we were meeting for the first time. This year we have met 40 extraordinary people who have impressed us immensely. They include a zealous abolitionist, a precocious and pregnant teenager on a mission of love, a military man who comes face-to-face with the folly of the war in Iraq, an idealistic teacher, a guilt-ridden young man, and a law firm "fixer" with a conscience. We've empathized with a couple facing challenges to their long marriage and with two young musicians who discover the joys of collaboration. We seen how a community connected by a café explores the many paths of love and how a church rallies around a lonely young man.
Attending foreign language movies this year we've traveled to India, Israel, and Iran. We've been inside a Paris bistros, hospitals, and nightclubs. We've seen how politics brings changes in people's lives, and how music and imagination transforms them.
Documentaries have reminded us of the best and the worst that can happen among peoples and to our earth. We've learned about the crisis in Darfur and the threats to the environment. We've been inspired by priests, health care advocates, gay and lesbian activists, and a U.S. former president. And we've been privileged to visit inside a monastery where silence reigns.
In even more films, we've met characters dealing with tradition and nonconformity, love and war, aging and grief, and much more. The Most Spiritually Literate films of 2007 offer a treasure trove of ideas and ideals which deepen and enrich our sense of connection with others and our world. See our full list of "The Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2007."