Each year, the ELPC Mission Board and Mission Committees sponsor and host a summer film series. This year’s themes are a continuation of our ongoing focus on facing systemic racism. Everyone is invited to stay after worship on Sundays, July 14, August 4, and August 18, and join us in the Good Samaritan Room to view the movies, discuss the themes, and enjoy a light lunch together.
July 14 | Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
This documentary paints a portrait of the philosophy and work of cardigan-wearing children’s entertainer Fred Rogers, star of the popular show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. A former minister, Fred Rogers creatively communicated themes of empathy and acceptance, race relations, kindness, and tolerance using a colorful cast of puppets and friends for more than 30 years. Along with archival footage, Rogers’ contemporaries and cast-mates reflect on his legacy. View on calendar
Sponsored by the Neighbors Committee | 94 minutes
August 4 | Urban Roots
Once an industrial powerhouse of a lost American era, Detroit has been devastated by the loss of half its population due to the collapse of manufacturing. By the looks of it, the city has died. But now, in the empty lots, in the old factory yards, and in-between the sagging blocks of housing, seeds of change are taking root. Dedicated citizens have started an urban environmental movement with the potential to transform not just a city after its collapse, but also a country after the end of its industrial age. Urban Roots shows Detroiters working to fulfill their vision for locally-grown, sustainably farmed food in a city where people—as in much of the county—have found themselves cut off from real food. View on calendar
Sponsored by the Justice Committee | 94 minutes
August 18 | BlacKkKlansman
From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. African-American detective Ron Stallworth sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan with the aid of a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream. View on calendar
Sponsored by the Peace Committee | 134 minutes