Can a priest watch films?

[SalesianSDB]

This might seem like a stupid question, and I apologize, but here goes:

I am a film buff. And a big one. When it comes to what I want to be in life, I’ve narrowed it down to two choices: filmmaker or priest. And since the deal I made with my parents is that I graduate college before entering the seminary, chances are that I will be going to film school.

Now I know that a priest can obviously watch movies. I’m positive they see movies like: *Therese, Passion of the Christ, St. John Bosco, The Bells at St. Mary’s *, and Scarlet and the Black. But the thing is, while I like these movies, I also like films like Alfred Hitchcock, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Quentin Tarantino,Scorsese, Clint Eastwood (love that guy) and films like that. I enjoy films like these as well as thrillers and horror films.

As a film buff and someone going into film school, these films and directors are a great influence to filmmaking and have impacted the film industry. I view them as art. Sometimes, instead of just watching the story, I concentrate on the editing of the film and how the director did certain things, sort of analyzing it to see how I can do something like that and learn from it. These guy and films I listed above are very important when it comes to film.

The order of priests that I want to join are in education and youth and I was hoping that I would teach TV Production in high school (along with religion, obviously) because it is a passion of mine and something I know and am good at.

So really my question is, can priests watch films like the ones stated above and by those directors?

Sorry if this is a stupid question…I’m curious.

 

[Joannm]

I took a graduate course on films given by a priest. I had to write a report on Fellini films. Oh do I hate subtitles. Anyway this priest does presentations and discussions on films and even writes about them in addition to teaching. And they are not usually religious films but more recent ones a well as classics. I work in a pairsh and the priests are always talking about the movies they saw.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Some priests are even involved in making movies: paulistproductions.org/

 

[SalesianSDB]

Some priests are even involved in making movies: paulistproductions.org/

We have Daughters of St. Paul nuns in our are which is from the same founder as the Paulists. I’ve heard of their order and what they do. Now come to think of it, I should consider a vocation in their order, but idk, the film I like making are films about redemption and hope but not overtly religious. I like making films in which, like Narnia and Lord of the Rings, you get a Catholic message without it being overtly religious and obvious. If that makes any sense, but I will look into their order.

Thanks!