Overview
February 2009: The Vatican launches two surprise investigations of American nuns, aiming to stamp out “radical feminism” and ensure sisters follow a conservative interpretation of doctrine.
Radical Grace follows three extraordinary nuns who faithfully honor their vow of obedience to God, even when it means angering the Church hierarchy. What does it mean for the sisters to be both devoted to, and in conflict, with a powerful religious institution? Feminists in a patriarchal faith? Why stay? Will the hard-line hierarchy dominate the Church in the 21st century, or will the sisters’ values of social justice and inclusion prevail?
Impact
American public opinion is increasingly at odds with conservative religious teachings, and for people across faiths organized religion is losing its hold on our everyday lives. On the other hand, faith — no matter how you define it — can be a powerful organizing tool and since the founding of our country, faith has played a crucial role in pushing forward progressive social and political change — from the abolitionists to the civil rights movement to environmental activism. Some of the major drivers of this work are Catholic sisters, who have long fought for those living on the margins, advocated for justice, and cared for those in need. The personal stories featured in Radical Grace inspire both religious and non-religious Americans to reclaim morality for progressive social good, and to impel a wide variety of faith communities to fight for equality, justice, and inclusion.
Inspired by the sisters’ tireless organizing, the filmmakers began developing the got started on their impact campaign early in production. The team participated in Doc Society’s first Good Pitch Chicago to fundraise for impact and meet new partners; hosted a partner Brain Trust with feminist and faith-based organizations in Washington, D.C.; and as a recipient of a Fledgling Fund impact grant, was invited to participate in the funder’s first Impact Lab for filmmakers. Those early conversations focused the impact campaign on three goals:
- Rebranding Faith – raising awareness about progressive faith-based organizing and reclaiming faith from the far right.
- Challenging the System – supporting actions and conversations to drive progress on equality within religious communities.
- Coalition Building – building bridges between secular and faith-based activists.
From 2015-2018, the impact team rolled out community screenings, live digital conversations, and partner collaborations focused on achieving these outcomes and reaching distinct Catholic, multifaith, and secular audiences, in the United States and worldwide. These activities took place alongside traditional means of documentary outreach, like a robust film festival release and nationwide broadcast on public television during Women’s History Month.
Key highlights from the campaign include:
- Nationwide broadcast on America Reframed
- 4.6 million people reached online
- 25 Partner Organizations Worldwide
- Screened in the State Department’s prestigious international screening series in South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Croatia, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand, Ukraine, Russia and more.
Find out how to bring this critically acclaimed film to your community at www.radicalgracefilm.com
Acknowledgements
A co-production with Interchange Productions.
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Mary Catherine Bunting Foundation
Roger & Chaz Ebert Foundation
Hartley Film Foundation
Kim Redding Charitable Trust
Berger Family Foundation
Puffin Foundation Ltd.
The Fledgling Fund
Radical Grace is a fiscally sponsored project of the Hartley Film Foundation.
Partners:
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