‘Conclave’ was a critical and commercial success, but why would a drama about the selection of a new pope be so popular, at a time when fewer people in the UK and Europe go to church?
This talk, by Dr Tommy Lynch of the University of Chichester, will attempt to answer this question by looking at how the history of cinema overlaps with the history of secularism.
A range of clips will demonstrate how the church can be the source of comedy, the setting for horror or the centre of drama. Depictions of the clergy during times of crisis will be addressed with a comparison of Bergman’s ‘Winter Light’ and Schrader’s ‘First Reformed.’
From the Cold War to climate change, the church still represents the possibility for a source of meaning beyond the human.
We’ll conclude by returning to 'Conclave' to see how every era produces the cinematic church it needs.
100m inc Q&A
Tickets £7.50
Sat 19 Jul 10:30 – In the Auditorium
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Talk in conjunction with the film:
WINTER LIGHT
