Faith + Film Forum

Light & Shadow

Since 2023, Harbor’s quarterly Faith + Film Forums have brought people together around a simple practice: we gather, we watch a film, we talk about it, and we share a meal.

Film is an art of light and shadow, and so is a lot of life. The stories we watch shape how we see the world, often without our noticing. Faith + Film is a space to slow down and pay attention—to ask what a film is saying, how it says it, and what it might have to do with the life of faith.

Along the way, we hope to:

• Watch with discernment, thinking carefully about what we take in and why it matters

• Understand the craft of storytelling: how characters, structure, and silence carry meaning

• Appreciate the artistry, including cinematography, sound, and performance, and the beauty filmmakers create

• Hear one another, since the best insights often come from the person sitting next to you

We choose films from many eras, countries, and traditions. Some are quiet and luminous. Others are unsettling and hard to shake. Some speak openly about faith, and others deal with grief, doubt, fear, forgiveness, or grace in less obvious ways. We don’t avoid difficult films. We’d rather watch them together and talk honestly about what we’ve seen. You don’t need any background in film or theology to join in. Curiosity is enough.