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Inquiring Nuns

  • 19681968
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
42
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Inquiring Nuns (1968)
  • Documentary
Two young nuns explore Chicago--from a supermart to the Art Institute and in front of churches on Sunday--confronting people with the crucial question, "Are you happy?" They meet many people... Read allTwo young nuns explore Chicago--from a supermart to the Art Institute and in front of churches on Sunday--confronting people with the crucial question, "Are you happy?" They meet many people--a lonely girl, a happy mother, a nun, some lovers, two hippie musicians, a lady sociolog... Read allTwo young nuns explore Chicago--from a supermart to the Art Institute and in front of churches on Sunday--confronting people with the crucial question, "Are you happy?" They meet many people--a lonely girl, a happy mother, a nun, some lovers, two hippie musicians, a lady sociologist, a college professor, even Stepin Fetchit; and receive many answers--"Happiness is the... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
42
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Gordon Quinn
    • Jerry Temaner
  • Stars
    • Sister Marie Arne
    • Sister Mary Campion
    • Stepin Fetchit
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Gordon Quinn
    • Jerry Temaner
  • Stars
    • Sister Marie Arne
    • Sister Mary Campion
    • Stepin Fetchit
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Inquiring Nuns (1968)
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    Top cast

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    Sister Marie Arne
    • Selfas Self
    Sister Mary Campion
    • Selfas Self
    Stepin Fetchit
    Stepin Fetchit
    • Koas Ko
    • Directors
      • Gordon Quinn
      • Jerry Temaner
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    Two young nuns explore Chicago--from a supermart to the Art Institute and in front of churches on Sunday--confronting people with the crucial question, "Are you happy?" They meet many people--a lonely girl, a happy mother, a nun, some lovers, two hippie musicians, a lady sociologist, a college professor, even Stepin Fetchit; and receive many answers--"Happiness is the absence of fear," "Avoiding people," "Rasberries," "Joy in knowing Christ." The humor and sadness of these honest encounters lift the film beyond its interview format to a serious and moving inquiry into the concerns of contemporary man, and also into the circumstances in which men will actually express their concerns. —Kartemquin Films
    • nun
    • cinema verite
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • 1969 Chicago International Film Festival Official Selection
    • Genre
      • Documentary
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      The 1960 French documentary, Chronicle of a Summer, had a similar format in which the filmmakers asked people on the streets of Paris whether they were happy.
    • Connections
      Featured in Reel Midwest: Inquiring Nuns (2019)

    User reviews1

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    What is happiness?
    This film is a marvel of purity & simplicity: two young nuns in Chicago, 1968, are invited by two young documentary filmmakers to ask strangers on the street, "Are you happy?" The nuns are open, sincere & utterly without affectations of any kind ... and this undoubtedly helps those interviewed to respond with candor & considered thought. The unpretentious honesty of the situation leads to guileless honesty on the part of those interviewed.

    Part of the film's appeal is its time capsule quality. This goes beyond the fashions & styles of 1968, I think, to the overall tone of the people themselves. This is prior to an era of glib irony & snark -- the people from all walks of life are genuinely concerned by the problems of their day, but equally hoping for some sort of unity & understanding among all of them. Some today might call this naiveté ... but to me, it's simply an expression of basic human decency, a deep longing for greater communion with one another.

    Interestingly, we don't hear anyone say that they'd be happier if they were rich. The real discussion of money is the knowledge that some are immensely rich, while others live in poverty -- the issue is disparity, not personal gain. Even more interestingly, many of those interviewed explain why they're happy by speaking of a sense of self-knowledge, of being true to themselves. Such were the priorities of so many people at that time, something we could use more of today.

    If you see this on DVD, there's more than just the original film, including a follow-up interview with the two (now former) nuns in 2009, talking about the film & their lives since then; and a similar short film made by high school students who had seen the film in 2009. This cellphone-made documentary is lovely, because the people interviewed are very different from the shallow media stereotypes of young people today -- they're just as thoughtful & considered as their predecessors from 1968. This is heartening!

    I'll be watching this film again, probably many times in the years to come. It would be perfect for sharing with a group of friends, as it would certainly lead to fascinating discussions. An unexpected treasure in every way!
    helpful•5
    0
    • Owlwise
    • Mar 5, 2018

    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 23, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Production company
      • Kartemquin Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Kartemquin Turns 50: How the Production Company’s Homemade Camera Shaped the History of Documentaries — Watch
    Kartemquin Turns 50: How the Production Company’s Homemade Camera Shaped the History of Documentaries — Watch
    Jun 24Indiewire
    Interview: Gordon Quinn on 50th Anniversary of Kartemquin Films
    Jun 21HollywoodChicago.com

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