Other insights introduces us to a myriad of films covering a wide range of topics. The common theme is encounter and encountering the heart.
Anzac Day
When the sun came up, they were gone
In this short film Br Damien reflects on Anzac Day. War is never glorious. The victims of war are endless; the poor, the children, the women, the elderly and those scared for life physically and psychologically. Damien shares the story of his Uncle Joseph Faust and his good friend Reg Valmadre. Joe and Reg fought in the Malaya Campaign in the Second World War, were captured, spent time in Changi Prisoner of War Camp and then on the infamous Burma Railway. Sadly their story ends with their giving of their lives to save comrades in the South China Sea. This is a simple story of courage, of dedication and of generosity.
Beer Garden God
In this short film the concept of a ‘Beer Garden God’ is broken open. In Australia many traditional hotels (pubs) had three bars; the private bar, the public bar and the beer garden. In this film Br Damien uses these images to suggest that this may be a metaphor for our spiritual lives. The private and public bars were both, in different ways, exclusive. The private bar had a strict dress code and was often a place of business; the rough and ready were not welcome there. The public bar would often exclude women and in some towns the Indigenous person too. However the beer garden was a place of welcome, of family, of story, of bread broken open. While we will certainly meet our God in the ‘private bar’ times, ultimately the challenge for any faith community is to develop a spirituality where we find and celebrate God and God’s love in the ordinary, in the streets, in the people and places of encounter – the beer garden times and places!
Working with boys
In this short film Br Damien breaks open some suggestions that work when engaging with boys. This film is an invitation for parents to name their wisdom in the dance that is engaging with boys as they grow to be men. Damien suggests that we do not have to be perfect but rather authentic; we need to have feet of clay and our sons need to know this. It is about shadow boxing – letting them know we love them without the public show of affection. It is the five second moments of connection that say deep inside, “I love you and I’m there on the journey with you!” What would your five second moments be?