I just saw a powerful documentary called The Overnighters, about a small oil-industry boom town in North Dakota inundated with thousands of down-on-their-luck men drawn by the (false) promise of plentiful, high-paying jobs. With scant employment prospects and even fewer resources, hundreds of these dispirited, newly homeless migrants find temporary shelter at a small Lutheran church, helmed by a compassionate but beleaguered pastor who faces growing criticism and opposition from members of his congregation and the community at large, who fear and resent the seemingly endless influx of strangers, many of whom have checkered pasts. Its a complex, multi-layered film that explores moral and social conundrums from an empathetic yet honest perspective. As Pastor Reinke continuously asserts (and heartbreakingly, reifies), Were all broken. Were also more alike than we are different, and ultimately this film exposes some of the prejudices and hypocrisy arising from economic inequality—and our unwillingness to open our hearts and minds to find the connection that exists between us all. The film has limited engagements in many cities over the next few months; you can check drafthousefilms/film/the-overnighters for screening information. If you get a chance to see it, I hope youll tell others about your experience. We create community when we share our experiences and try to love and understand each other, despite any superficial differences.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 05:35:07 +0000
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