This story is about a Native-American family and how their lives are negatively impacted by Christian missionaries. The film begins with a little girl looking at a little picture of Jesus (which you assume some missionaries gave her). Then, the scene switches to an old man who is dying and then you find that he's pretty much given up on life since missionaries convinced him to give up his traditional medicine bag. Bad, bad Christians!!
Technically, this is a well made short film. The cinematography, direction and all were just fine. However, this film brought up a few points that bothered me---though I will agree that some missionaries have shown contempt for native traditions and have a "hit and run" attitude about conversions ("let's get 'em saved and then go on to the next batch" thinking).
First, the implication is that if only the old man had relied on traditional and non-Western medicine everything would be okay. This is a very dangerous attitude and many people have recently switched to healing crystals, refusing to give children vaccines, worrying about aligning body auras and the like and as a result, people are dropping dead! Modern medicine doesn't have all the answers, but the recent anti-scientifically proved medicine bias is scary. Second, the film seems to paint Christianity with a rather wide brush--perhaps since it's fashionable to attack this religion. If the film had attacked Islam or Buddhism, would it have been so fashionable? Just my two cents worth.
Overall, a film with a decent idea but I would have loved to seen it hashed out more, as in its current form it seems incomplete and one-dimensional.
Technically, this is a well made short film. The cinematography, direction and all were just fine. However, this film brought up a few points that bothered me---though I will agree that some missionaries have shown contempt for native traditions and have a "hit and run" attitude about conversions ("let's get 'em saved and then go on to the next batch" thinking).
First, the implication is that if only the old man had relied on traditional and non-Western medicine everything would be okay. This is a very dangerous attitude and many people have recently switched to healing crystals, refusing to give children vaccines, worrying about aligning body auras and the like and as a result, people are dropping dead! Modern medicine doesn't have all the answers, but the recent anti-scientifically proved medicine bias is scary. Second, the film seems to paint Christianity with a rather wide brush--perhaps since it's fashionable to attack this religion. If the film had attacked Islam or Buddhism, would it have been so fashionable? Just my two cents worth.
Overall, a film with a decent idea but I would have loved to seen it hashed out more, as in its current form it seems incomplete and one-dimensional.