Dirs. Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady, US, 2006, 84 mins, documentary
Cast (as themselves): Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard, Mike Papantonio
Review by Richard Hawes
Neither promoting the Evangelical movement nor the damning portrait of Christianity some may hope for, Jesus Camp is a disturbing look of the fundamentalist movement in the United States.
The Evangelical faithful have gathered momentum in recent years. The coming of the millennium prompted the influential End Times genre of fiction and film, starting with Left Behind by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, while the pride of President George W. Bush, a man many believe to have been appointed by God as a Holy leader, appears to have mobilised a silent conservative majority.
The Christian media and Bush are creating a polarity in the United States, one escalated by conflicting feelings about the war in Iraq. This is a film that seeks to highlight these issues while looking at the manner in which the children of such Evangelicals are being raised.
Proud and righteous Christians granted Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (co-directors) total access to their lives. They filmed in their homes, churches and even their children are interviewed privately.
Bound to frighten not only atheists but also Christians themselves, Jesus Camp focuses on the rise of the political right and speculates on what this could mean for the future of the world's greatest superpower.
When we are presented with a handful of the next generation of Evangelicals, it appears a prelude to an Omen-style prophecy. One where the dangerous politician is not the anti-Christ but a man of strong faith, not unlike Bush. It asks us to imagine a future where influential Evangelicals rule the world. For most that could be a frightening proposition.
Devoid of narration by the filmmakers themselves, a la Louis Theroux, Ewing and Grady instead employ stylistic devices to get their perspective across. Firstly they draw a line between mainstream Christianity and the extremist version preached by Evangelicals.
Christian broadcaster Mike Papantino introduces the themes of the film before we are taken to meet children's pastor Becky Fischer. Fischer is introduced as a catalyst. Adding fuel to the fire of faith, her warmth matched only by her disturbing world view.
Her "fight fire with fire" mentality regarding the radicalisation of children to become warriors in a Holy War is sure to cause unease. She argues that because Islamic fundamentalist groups are turning children into gun-toting, suicide bombing martyrs for their cause, that her methods are in some way justified.
The film allows Fischer to speak for herself and do the work for them, but the filmmakers' editing and use of music enhances the intensity of the more extreme moments of tearful praise and questionable teaching. There are also moments of conflict where the two Christian denominations confront each other and issues of indoctrination.
Contrasting the playful lives of the children with the heavy-handed preaching scenes, Ewing and Grady make their feelings clear. Their concern is how impressionable children are. The intelligent children we are introduced to have been undeniably moulded by the environment in which they have been raised, particularly preacher in training Eli, 12, and sweet wide-eyed Rachael, 9.
Take away the religious perspective on this and it's a wake up call for all of us. Who amongst us does not feel that their beliefs and understanding of the world has been coloured by their parents and culture?
While time will tell how the children who attend Becky Fischer's Kids on Fire summer camps each year will turn out (will they continue on the path or rebel?) one can't deny that these will be experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
A hymn to the power of moral outrage and the exploitation of children, Jesus Camp is a film which stirs emotion, thought and feelings on faith, and is highly recommended.
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