Center for the literary arts in New York State
FILM SCREENING
"The Armor of Light"
7 p.m. Friday, February 16, 2024
Page Hall, UAlbany Downtown Campus
135 Western Avenue, Albany NY 12203
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Free parking. Free and open to the public.
(U.S., 2015, 88 minutes, color, rated PG-13)
"The Armor of Light" is an acclaimed documentary directed by Abigail Disney— outspoken critic of American capitalism, philanthropist, filmmaker, and daughter of Walt Disney Company co-founder Roy O. Disney.
The film follows the journey of an Evangelical minister trying to find the courage to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America. The film tracks Reverend Rob Schenck, anti-abortion activist and a fixture on the political far-right, who breaks with orthodoxy by questioning whether being progun is consistent with being pro-life.
Reverend Schenck is shocked and perplexed by the reactions of his longtime friends and colleagues who warn him away from this complex, politically explosive issue. Along the way, Rev. Schenck meets Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida and whose story has cast a spotlight on "Stand Your Ground" laws. Also an Evangelical Christian, McBath's personal
testimony compels Rev. Schenck to reach out to pastors around the country to initiate a biblical conversation on the Christian response to gun violence. Lucy is on a difficult journey of her own, trying to make sense of her devastating loss while using her grief to effect some kind of viable and effective political action-where so many before her have failed.
The documentary follows these allies through their trials of conscience, heartbreak, and rejection, as they bravely attempt to make others consider America's gun culture through a moral lens. The film is also a courageous look at our fractured political culture and an assertion that it is, indeed, possible for people to come together across deep party lines to find common ground.
The screening will open with "Steamboat Willie" film short.
A cultural artifact of extraordinary significance, the 1928 animated short that launched Mickey and Minnie Mouse loses its copyright protection and entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.