PODCAST: Cleanflix and Mormon Culture

As an avid listener of the Mormon Matters Podcast, it was a lot of fun to actually appear on the show this week. Now, if I could have the same honor over at my favorite film podcasts like The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Filmspotting, or The /Filmcast. Someday.

Other upcoming Mormon-themed podcast appearances where Andrew and I will be talking about Cleanflix include the much more mainstream podcast, The Cultural Hall, and the much more controversial podcast, Mormon Expression. Be sure to check those out if you enjoy some deep dissection of LDS culture. But first, here is the even-handed Dan Wotherspoon guiding us through some of the themes of our film, along with panelists (filmmaker) Richard Dutcher and (Mormon in the Cheap Seats) Brent D. Beal.

Dan Wotherspoon » 4.13.11 »

The documentary film Cleanflix tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of businesses (based primarily in Utah) that rented and sold versions of Hollywood movies in which they had edited out bad language, nudity, sex scenes, gore, graphic violence, and anything else that they considered not a match for community standards. In telling the story from its origins to the court case that declared the practices as in violation of copyright agreements to the continuing saga of stores that refused to shut down even after the businesses were declared illegal, the film highlights deeply embedded attitudes in Mormon culture. What are the peculiar aspects of Mormonism that helped give rise to an industry that seemed fully intent on exploiting moral gray areas: letter versus spirit of gospel teachings, trying to eliminate guilt for wanting to be “part of” the world rather than fully “apart from” it, judging ones views of the value of certain art forms and messages as superior to that of the persons who created the art in the first place?

In this episode, Cleanflix filmmakers Joshua Ligairi and Andrew James, join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Richard Dutcher and Brent Beal for a lively discussion of these and many other aspects of this story. Could this industry have arisen and grown to be as huge as it became anywhere other than in Utah? Why do so many Latter-day Saints seem incapable of contextualizing artistic choices, failing to see that sometimes a swear word does not simply reveal a lack of linguistic imagination or that nudity is not always presented in order to excite libido? What doctrinal or cultural messages make it hard for many Mormons to want to really explore the human condition–including its dark and difficult aspects–in ways that film is ideally suited to?

We look forward to you listening and then sharing below your ideas on these and the many other areas explored in this fascinating film and discussion.

Moderator's Note » Stream the Mormon Matters podcast now at MormonMatters.org or download and subscribe at iTunes. Both options are completely free, but you should also consider a donation to the podcast if you value constructive, critical thinking on LDS topics.

TRAILER: Errol Morris' Tabloid

Joshua Ligairi » 06.09.11 »

Here's the first look at a trailer for what seems to be another entry in the "Film I Wish I'd Made" pantheon. If Errol Morris' new documentary, TABLOID (about the alleged abduction of Mormon missionary), is even a fraction as tantalizing as this trailer is, we're in for quite a treat.

BLOG: Separation of chruch and hate

Joshua Ligairi » 01.01.09 »

As post-production draws to a close on Cleanflix, I'm turning my sights to new projects. There are already many exciting things on the horizon, but as I've ruminated on topics that would be worth the next two years of my life, I keep coming back to the Mormon Church and homosexuality.

As a progressive in a largely conservative religion, I've struggled with the church's decision to take a stance on the recent Proposition 8 in California. That said, I’m not interested in making a film about Prop 8 or an attack piece on the LDS church. I want to make a film about people. The most simple stated goal for this project is to humanize homosexuals for Mormons and to likewise humanize Mormons for the gay community. For me, the most obvious way to do that is to find personal stories that reveal where these two groups overlap.

By way of disclosure, I'm straight and an active member in the LDS church. Just as that may provide some comfort to Latter-day Saints, I’m sure it will also prove to be a point of worry for those in the gay community. I don't see my personal faith as a drawback but as a strength. I have a working knowledge of both the LDS church and Mormon culture. I know where these people are coming from and the good intentions behind their sometimes confusing actions.

On the other hand I have seen a great amount of ignorance and bigotry from the church membership. As an ethnic minority, I've often felt like an outsider in the Caucasian-dominated LDS churches I've attended in Utah and California. This is not precisely the same thing, and I recognize that, but I mention it to demonstrate that I have been on the receiving end of discrimination myself.

I am close to several gay Mormons. Some open, others closeted. On my mission for the Mormon church in Amsterdam, I served with a young man struggling to combine his faith and sexuality. Since that time I have been keenly aware of the LDS church’s attitudes and doctrines pertaining to homosexuality. In my estimation, there have been huge leaps of progress in the last few years. Of course, it’s difficult not to see Proposition 8 as a huge step backward. I am a liberal-minded person trying to believe and honestly trying to reconcile these differences.

Further, I am in no way interested in controversy. For me, the main intent of this film is to explore the prospects of healing and understanding between the gay community and the LDS Church. I hope that both groups will feel well-represented and that the film leads to discussion and progress.

Update 2010 >> This film has been put on hold due to the prominence of another upcoming film on Gay Mormon issues entitled 8: The Mormon Proposition . Knowing some of the filmmakers personally, I am confident that what we are hoping to do is much different and far less an attack piece that 8, but we are going to give it some time to cool off anyway. We don't want to be "the other Gay Mormon movie."

Update 2011 >> This film has now officially been cancelled due to the emergence of a new film trying to do exactly the same thing, the main difference being that the director is, himself, a Gay Mormon. The film is called Far Between and looks to be fantastic. I trust those making the documentary to do a fair job and make a film that will go a long way toward healing between these two communities and so, I am humbly bowing out of contention. I am so glad this film is being made. I don't need to be the one to make it. Best of luck to Kendall Wilcox and the crew of Far Between from all of us at Icarus A&E. To learn more about what Kendall Wilcox is planning for the film, listen to him talk to Radio West's Doug Fabrizio. He seems to be a pretty great guy.

PRESS: Zombies vs Mormons

An article from The Daily Herald's Cody Clark about the Joshua Ligairi directed short film, Through the Valley. Direct link to the Daily Herald website here.

Cody Clark » 01.13.08 »

Who hasn't looked at all of these movies about proselytizing missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- "God's Army," "The Best Two Years," "The R.M.," "States of Grace," "Return with Honor," "The Errand of Angels" -- and thought, "You know what we really need? A missionary movie with zombies in it."

Mission accomplished. (Pun intended.) Mitch Davis, 27, a publicist at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., served his own LDS mission to New Mexico. The first place he served was the tiny desert town of Polacca, on the Hopi Indian Reservation.

"I loved my own mission and I think about it often," Davis said.

One day he ended up discussing missions with a friend and the two of them wondered how the actions and responsibilities of missionaries would change in the event of a natural disaster, an earthquake, or maybe a tsunami. The idea stayed in his brain until suddenly the words "natural disaster" became "zombie attack."

"I love horror movies," he said, "and I'd never seen a Mormon horror movie."

Davis turned the idea into a 7-page script for the LDS Film Festival's annual script-writing competition almost overnight -- he'd meant to enter the competition but forgot about its deadline until the week before scripts were due.

He submitted his script for "Through the Valley" (of the shadow of death?) with no expectation that it would be selected for production by the festival. Which just goes to show that you never know what's going to hit a nerve.

Davis said that, though listed by the festival as a "horror" film, "Through the Valley," directed by Joshua Ligairi, has its share of humor. And it's not an out-and-out zombie movie, either. "This won't be missionaries running around with shotguns blowing zombies' heads off," he said. "My missionaries will follow all of the mission rules and try to help the people around them."

Though he hasn't yet seen the film of his own script -- weather-permitting, he'll catch it at the festival -- Davis is thrilled to be a filmmaker. And he's going to stick with it. "I honestly don't know what this will bring," he said. "Regardless of what happens, I'll continue to write.

Direct link to the article at The Daily Herald.

Moderator's update » 01.25.09 » Through the Valley was released on DVD at the 2009 LDS Film Festival as part of the Best of the LDS Film Festival DVD series. Also available is a short film co-directed by Cleanflix co-director Andrew James. That short is called Wrestling with God. Joshua Ligairi was the production designer on the film which stars Ligairi's friend Adam Johnson (mentioned in the post above). Both films are on the best of 2008 DVD which can be purchased online directly from the festival here.