BLAINESWORLD show, 11.17.21. Guests: (first half) Vic Compher and Rodney Whittenberg, filmmakers; and (second half) Sara Bell, artist
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Episode 33: “Angels and Saints~Eros and Awe” Documentary
Leftscape co-host Robin Renée speaks with Rodney Whittenberg, Emmy-Award-winning “renaissance man” who handled co-production, camera, composing, and editing for the project, and Mx Chris Paige, author of OtherWise Christian: A Guidebook for Transgender Liberation, who appears in the film.
The new documentary film, Angels and Saints – Eros and Awe, grapples with an American culture which has historically seen the body as “bad” and the spirit as “good.” It features a diverse group of clergy, sex educators, therapists, and workshop leaders who have learned to integrate eros with wisdom or spiritual awareness. Combined with dance, music, poetry, Angels and Saints offers their personal stories and broader insights.
The 3 Random Facts of the day include henotheism, when people tend to be most altruistic, and something unique about the month of May. This time in the News: Some families that were separated at the US-Mexico border have begun to be united, a disco tune inspires vaccination in Singapore, “reintegration” challenges for people as lockdowns are lifted in some places, ways to help those in India who are dealing with COVID-19 devastation, the VAX LIVE concert event, and an update for German gymnasts’ competition sportswear. Later, co-host Wendy Sheridan leads a discussion on what the world needs and finding one’s way to contribute while seeking Ikigai balance.
Here is the phenomenal interview Victor Fuhrman did with Rodney Whittenberg and Vic Compher, the creators of Angels and Saints~Eros and Awe, a film about the intersection of sexuality and spirituality.
Entering the Realm of Angels and Saints: Eros and Awe
https://goodmenproject.com/
An interview with producers Vic Compher and Rodney Whittenberg
September 28, 2021 by Edie Weinstein Leave a Comment
In a historic year of national trauma, fueled by massive suffering and chaos from the COVID epidemic and evidenced through police brutality and tremendous racial upheaval, the polarization of our nation has rarely been more extreme. “Angels and Saints~ Eros and Awe “ explores key aspects of our country’s dramatic cultural divide and harsh dualism through the unexpected lens of sexuality and religion.
Turn on the television, open a newspaper or magazine, and every day you will re-experience the historic AND very current fissure that exists between “Sex and Religion” – where the “flesh” is presented as “evil” and the “spirit” as “good”. You will see stories about individuals, communities, school systems, youth sports associations, state legislatures, and the federal government fighting over sexuality, gender, and religion.
Recent episodes of television shows such as “This Is Us” and “New Amsterdam” have had storylines that portray Gay and Transgender individuals in a positive light. The social media responses, though sometimes praising, have been equally pejorative, echoing the massive cultural and spiritual divide among viewers.
Indeed, guilt, fear, and shame are the currency of our society’s most unhealthy attitudes about sexuality. The self-professed internal religious and sexual conflict within the recent terrorist killings in Atlanta spas further illustrate this tragic fissure.
Rodney Whittenberg and Vic Compher, the Philadelphia area producers of the film come from different creative worlds, one a social worker and writer, the other a musician and music producer. Each has a passion for expression and making a difference in the world. They succeed brilliantly in the creation of this documentary film that brings to light the deep divides that exist in the realms of spirituality and sexuality and some of the means to mend the rend.
Vic Compher is a social worker who has served people all across the age spectrum; children, youth, and families for decades, a geriatric counselor for 11 years – visiting in homes of elders, providing supportive listening and resources who he says, “also inspired and taught me much about aging.” He was a medical social worker with hospice – exploring the meaning of death and dying. He passed on the knowledge he gained, as a social work trainer who has led many workshops and specialized in helping social workers, esp., to acknowledge and mitigate secondary trauma. He is also the author of articles and a book on social work practice — lots of experience interviewing and documenting the narratives of interesting people in written form with a special interest in exemplary elders in the past 20 years.
What prompted you to become a filmmaker?
I am very visual — love visual arts and films — I had done a lot of writing before considering filmmaking; and as I was reducing my client involvement in social work, I thought I’d like to interview more people on camera around important themes — and to create films that educate the public and which could possibly be used in my continuing workshop training. Because I was working primarily with elders at this stage, my first three films (a kind of trilogy) address older adults and aging: “Treasures of the Elders” contains interview vignettes of 8 older adults who in their “retirement phases” become highly active and rejuvenated through the development of their latent artistic skills…some emerge as poets, painters, dancers. “Peace of the Elders” features elder peace activists, e.g. elder Quakers, the Grannies Peace Brigade, etc. … and “I Cannot Be Silent” — an intergenerational film in which elder peacemakers share their stories with children and young adults.
How do you select subjects around which to make a movie?
Largely through my social work orientation and related social themes. I look for topics that need to be revealed to the public…to be brought into the light…that are fairly unknown or in the shadows … e.g., secondary trauma or compassion fatigue — that’s the emotional and/or physical impact on the professional caregiver as a result of his/her support and care of traumatized clients. The topic has only begun since COVID to be written about and presented in the mainstream media, e.g., the enormous emotional and physical impacts upon professional health care workers (and other essential workers) as a result of their care for their patients or clients who have COVID.
With Rodney, he co-created a film Portraits of Professional Caregivers. Their Passion. Their Pain, that addresses all kinds of care providers, EMTs, Firefighters, Therapists, Social Workers, Teachers, even the Police…anyone whose responsibility it is to respond to trauma and crisis as a daily part of their work. In the film we hear and see the narratives of these public servants and learn the back story of how they are affected personally…we discover how they cope and seek balance in their work and personal lives…how they support each other…the deleterious consequences when they are not working in supportive systems or do not have a good balance between their work and their broader lives.
I have attended a progressive church called Wellspring for many years which has been very open in addressing how religion has often done great damage to the sexual development of people…I became more conscious of how traditional theologies (Christian and Jewish in particular) since the time of St. Augustine have taught us that “the spirit is good and sacred and the flesh or sexuality is bad”…this harmful attitude (this split or dichotomy of world view) has promoted guilt, fear, and shame and inhibited people’s ability to live into their wholeness as human beings. felt this topic, which is so rarely discussed, needed to be brought into the light…it is a very complex subject that can only be fully addressed through the integration of our minds and hearts, also we need to use of our right brain and left brain creatively to make progress with this integration. So, our film addresses the topic through interviews and narratives or stories (with many personal examples) of the leaders in this field who seek and encourage wholeness. And so, we use the arts to point toward that which is ineffable or beyond words — using modern dance, original music, animation, poetry, nature photography, and other symbolic references.
What makes them both taboo subjects?
In our society we have most often been taught guilt, shame, and fear which has created anxiety, repression, confusing or unhealthy responses to our Erotic selves…” Erotic” with a capital E. Eros encompasses sexuality, but also our openness to observing, tasting, hearing, touching and feeling the amazing world of objects all around us — both natural objects and those that are humanly produced.
Why is this particularly important at this time in history for us to explore those concepts?
Historically Western civilization in contrast to indigenous or earth cultures (e.g. Native American, many African, some Asian, etc.) has tried to dominate and rule over nature and people…this approach of exploiting other peoples and the resources of nature has been incredibly destructive of healthy communities and of the planet itself…we are reaping the results, e.g. in warfare, social upheaval, and in climate change as we are destroying our precious planet and its people— instead of loving and nurturing the world, nature in all of its forms, and people with all of their/ our diversity.
The Title of our Film is “Angels and Saints—Eros and Awe”. The Angels and Saints are not who we might think they are—they are not the “righteous and religious” who separate themselves from the physical world with piety and condemnation of others. The real Angels and Saints of the world and of our film are paradoxically those who are very Erotic in the fullest sense of the word…as referred to above…they cultivate wholeness and integration of body, spirit, affection, nurture and kindness in sexuality and all aspects of their lives…they are bold and creative…and not infrequently they suffer for it…the people in the film witness to this aspiration, to this search and cultivation of wholeness. And in the process, they experience awe and wonder…which are spiritual and mindful qualities, a deep reverence for our world and each other as humans, all emerging from engagement with this sensual, very real world we live in…Poets are often our best guides into this transformational awareness and integrated sensual-spiritual process…consider Mary Oliver or Denise Levertov among many other poets.
How can we blend the worlds, so we don’t feel fragmented?
This question comes up over and over in our film, and our film’s own “Angels and Saints” point frequently to the arts as a major source of healing…the arts become a place for individual and community expression, connection, and healing…they bring us to ourselves and to each other…There are many contexts for this healing, e.g. mindfulness and healthy spiritual practices, healthy sexual awareness and appreciation, therapy individually or in groups, creative projects that engage us with helping and loving others…sometimes our congregations or friendship circles contribute to this wellness.
How do you feel relationships will change if people accept the messages the film puts forth?
People will be able to reduce or give up much of their guilt, shame and fear and to a much greater degree look at themselves and each other with wonder and awe.
How can we let go of body shaming and demonizing sexuality?
Practice gratitude and kindness as fully as possible with each other and in all parts of our lives — rather than judging ourselves and others harshly or competing with or trying to control others…embrace, behold and love our beautiful planet…take care of it…reverse climate change…
Who are the ‘modern-day angels and saints’ in the film?
• Rev. Beverly Dale — founder of the Incarnation Institute — which promotes the kind of wholeness we’ve been describing…
• Rabbi David Dunn Bauer — chaplain and workshop leader using many of the approaches of a program called “Body Electric,” which he describes in the film
• Rev. Lacette Cross — a pastor and protege of Bev Dale who promotes wholeness within very diverse communities
• Chris Paige — who refuses binary designation for themselves — and identifies as “OtherWise” … which they clarify eloquently in the film
• Nick Evans — a Ph.D. geologist who loves and explores the physical world — and who loves and integrates Eros in many forms
• Em House — a sex educator and sex therapist who invites and nurtures the healing of her clients through compassion and a deeper understanding of Eros…
What film festivals has it been accepted in so far?
We have gone international! Chicago Indie, Brighton Rocks, Toronto, Cannes Film Festival have welcomed us. We have also received an Exceptional Merit Award from IndieFest and LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Fest. LASun Film Fest awarded us Best Feature Documentary.
If the world could watch the film, what would you want the takeaway message to be?
People will be able to reduce or give up their guilt, shame, and fear to a greater degree and look at themselves and each other with wonder and awe.
Rodney Whittenberg is the co-producer of Portraits of Professional Caregivers. Their Passion. Their Pain, and Angels and Saints~Eros and Awe and founder of Melodyvision, where he works as a creative consultant by using his skills as a composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, filmmaker, and educator. He brings a fresh and unique perspective to each client and project, adding value that results in creative solutions to often complex problems. Rodney has composed music for over 34 films and TV shows, and countless dance performances. He’s the creator and host of the podcast Pre-Concert, an interview show, where listeners meet and preview upcoming performances. Clients include PEW’s Philadelphia Music Project, Philadelphia’s Orchestra 2012, Montgomery County Community College, and Intercultural Journeys. Rodney’s work as a filmmaker centers around his passion for telling a story from start to finish in a creative way. Projects include HBO Family segments 30X30: Kid Flicks, WHYY Wider Horizon educational spots, and numerous music videos and short-form documentaries.
What prompted you to become a filmmaker?
As a kid, I went to the movies a couple of times a month with my family and remember being obsessed with the 1968 version of Oliver. I must have seen it 20 times in the theater. I was 5 or 6 at the time. As a teen, I lived in Yeadon, PA and like many small towns, it had a dollar movie theater. I fell in love with the arts and film was one of my big, big passions. Music, TV film tech, and education were all my passions.
How do you select subjects around which to make a movie?
I have a company called Melodyvision and my clients come up with the subject. When I work with Vic it is his vision that becomes my vision. With my other clients, it’s their vision. I have a few projects that are all mine that are coming up. It will be interesting to see how they go.
Talk about the Caregivers film.
I am so proud of what the film accomplished.
What sparked the interest in creating a film on sexuality and spirituality?
For me, the idea of wholeness has been part of my journey for the past 10 years. Balance for a Libra is very important. I found my spiritual home with Wellsprings and when Vic shared his vision with me, I internally got it immediately.
What makes them both taboo subjects?
They scare us and make us uncomfortable. I think it is the legacy of western puritan culture and the need to have the answers, or perhaps Christianity and the idea that our bodies are bad and dirty and only the spirit is good, with pure thoughts.
Why is it particularly important at this time in history that we explore those concepts?
I think if we don’t, we will miss the opportunity to save humanity. Some of us are so disconnected from the impact of what we do we can’t see how destructive or hurtful we can be.
How can we blend the worlds, so we don’t feel fragmented?
I think it’s having a daily practice. The key to a balanced whole life is finding a healthy practice and actively loving yourself. Love is an action. I find the more I actively love something or someone the more I am in love and love something or someone.
How do you feel relationships will change if people accept the messages the film puts forth?
I think they will get better.
How can we let go of body shaming and demonizing sexuality?
I think again it is a practice and a commitment to actively loving ourselves.
Who are the ‘modern-day angels and saints’ in the film?
They are spiritual leaders, prophets of the new way.
If the world could watch the film, what would you want the takeaway message to be?
That we all must walk our own path to be whole. I think we miss the teachings of Jesus. It is not to worship them but honor them by being like him and to strive to walk in the light and find wholeness and balance.