Last night I had the pleasure of attending a screening of They Killed Sister Dorothy at the Dayton Art Institute. The documentary directed by Daniel Junge tells the compelling story of Dayton native, Dorothy Stang, a Catholic nun who worked in Brazil to help improve the condition of poor through sustainable living in the Amazon.
Sister Dorothy was murdered in 2005, and I remember the outcry here in Dayton, especially in the Catholic community I grew up in. At the time, I didn't know much of her work, but after seeing this film, I am totally blown away. What a great way to combine religion and science -- to help the poor and the environment.
The film itself was wonderful. It was just the right amount of emotion and fact, which I think is hard to achieve in a documentary. Of course, I expected the film to have an emotional aspect, but I also didn't want to be crying the whole time and not really learning anything. I learned A LOT. In addition to Sister Dorothy's story, the film provided a really good picture of the forces that environmental advocates are up against. It also gave a very intimate glimpse into the Brazilian court system, which I found as interesting as the rest of the topics presented.
They Killed Sister Dorothy will air on HBO next week, so if you can, check it out!
