【影片簡介】家庭基礎 Family Fundamentals

 

 

 

美國 USA︱2002︱ 75 min︱曾奕田 Arthur DONG

 

2002  日舞影展評審團大獎提名

Grand Jury Prize Nomination, U.S. Documentary Competition, Sundance Film Festival

2002  義大利都靈同志影展最佳紀錄片提名

Best Documentary Nomination, Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

 

和藹的教會領袖凱絲琳，對自己離婚又出櫃的女兒及同志孫子束手無策，她堅信對「同志症候群」的治療，卻與女兒、孫子漸行漸遠。空軍一級上尉布雷不但因為同志身分而被迫「光榮退役」，更與牧師父親產生隔閡。共和黨籍競選幹事布萊恩一直與同黨籍國會議員巴布情同父子，卻因為巴布積極公開反對同性戀的行為，而遲遲不敢公開自己真實的性向……

 

經過九一一事件的洗禮，美國社會不但沒有因此察覺偏激的宗教主義為人類所帶來的災禍，反而以更加保守、排他的意識形態回應；更有電視布道家公開宣稱自由主義者、女性主義者、支持墮胎權益者、以及同性戀者，才應該為九一一事件負責，因為他們的行為讓上帝怒懲美國！然而，在基督教所重視的家庭關係私領域中，是否也存在著如此的偏見？

 

繼在《殺人有理》中解析同性戀者在美國社會中所受到的仇視與不公，曾奕田導演在「同志戰事」三部曲的尾聲，將鏡頭轉向家庭關係中的精神「冷暴力」，藉由剖析三組基督教家庭與同志子女之間的親情與矛盾，勾勒出美國宗教與政治文化中的保守主義，以及對同志族群的強烈沙文與排他心態。

 

In the aftermath of 9/11, world events have revealed the tragic outcome of fundamentalist dogma from other lands. America, however, is not immune to such extreme beliefs from its own citizens: television evangelist Rev. Jerry FALWELL and former presidential candidate Pat ROBERTSON proclaimed on national television that liberal civil liberty groups, feminists, abortion rights supporters and homosexuals bear responsibility for the September 11th events because their actions have turned God’s anger against America. FALWELL declared: “All of them who have tried to secularize America– I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen’.”

 

In Family Fundamentals, filmmaker Arthur DONG continues his quest to understand American contempt for homosexuality and its effects on family, culture and the nation’s political landscape. Armed with a digital camera, DONG takes us into the private and sometimes very public lives of conservative Christian families with gay and lesbian children. He asks: What happens when parents believe that their own kids represent the very element that will lead to the destruction of the human race?

 

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