the Shopocalypse is coming

I'm giving up on this work thing for a minute to go check out the Durban International Film Festival. Those are the posters for it over there on the left. Pretty cool, aren't they? DIFF is run through the University of KwaZulu Natal here in Durban, and takes place over 10 days each winter. I don't have much time to write about it more just now, but here's the description for the film I'm going to see this afternoon:

WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?
d. Rob Van Alkemade, USA 2007 DOC 23 Suncoast 16h00; 24 Musgrave 14h15

This funny and thought-provoking fi lm follows “Reverend Billy” and his gospel choir on a crusade across America to rescue people from the “Shopocalypse” that grips Americans
most feverishly around Christmas. Subjecting themselves to harassment and arrest, Reverend Billy’s team brings anti-corporate and anti-consumerist messages to shopping malls through beguiling but satirical, Christmas songs. Humorous adaptations of confession and exorcism drive home the message that millions of Americans are replacing Christian love with materialism. Screening as part of the Poverty and Inequality Challenge Film Festival.

Filmmaker in attendance
English, Video, 91 min

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I can't imagine a more interesting place to see this movie. Some South Africans are religious in a way similar to how I imagine this Revered Billy character will be. I'm not sure if the film festival will draw that particular crowd - but movie goers will probably see an interesting reflection of their own culture in a movie made far, far away in America.

I gotta roll. Later

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**Update** The movie was excellent. I highly recommend that you guys check it out when it gets a wider release in America later this fall. The film debuted at SxSW in Austin and has picked up a lot of momentum since then. Interestingly, this documentary was produced by Morgan Spurlock's (the guy who filmed himself eating exclusively McDonald's products for a month in Super Size Me) company. The filmmaker was at the showing and ran a nice q&a session after the movie finished. Alright, back to work for a little while.