Intriguing, Personal, Real
The juxtaposition of these two, half-hour pieces makes sense since they deal with the intangibles of religious calling, but the structure and clarity of each piece differs. The first one, "Violet Flame," is confusing because the producer leaves the narrative in the hands of her interviewees without a framework and identification. She begins well by telling us she wants to understand her sister's participation in The Church Universal and Triumphant, but then she stops assembling a structure. She strings her interviews together without informing us who the characters are and why they are important to the story. I may surmise who they might be, but I'm left to guess their relevance.
Her natural sound is good, especially when it comes to accessing the believers' chants and practices, but she never resolves her quest to understand her sister's membership in this church. We just hear an explanation of what the congregants believe and much of it is sounds like New Age ideas. I was curious enough to dig a little on the origins of these beliefs, which are based on Saint Germain and his Violet Light. I learned that much of this is based on Theosophy and Rosicrucian mysteries. I wish the producer would have explained this instead of me having to look this up.
The second piece, "God Knows Why," revolves around three simple voices and the voice of producer, who conducts her interviews clearly and compellingly. Julie Kimberley is a wonderful storyteller, who allows her Aunt Janny to explain why she entered a cloistered convent, and follows up on how her family has reacted to the situation. You can hear hurt and some harsh judgments from Aunt Janny's brother (Julie's father), and acceptance from her father's younger sister, Maryanne. Aunt Janny stands tall with her beliefs and gives insight into why her devotion to humanity and Christ is strong. This is a beautiful and sad story about a family ruptured by the love for God. I just wish this piece were paired with another just as strong.
Yolette Garcia
December 27, 2006
Soundprint 06-49 uploaded Friday 12/08/06
