BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Newton Cultural Alliance - ECPv6.13.2.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://newtonculture.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Newton Cultural Alliance
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260201T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260201T153000
DTSTAMP:20260603T020040
CREATED:20260113T173857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260113T173857Z
UID:10023574-1769950800-1769959800@newtonculture.org
SUMMARY:West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: The Testament of Ann Lee
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE FILM:\nFrom award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come\, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee\, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader\, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia\, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist). \nPANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS\nA post-screening conversation will explore the film’s portrayal of Ann Lee and Shaker spirituality\, with particular attention to women’s religious leadership\, utopian community-building\, and the historical contexts of dissenting Protestant movements in the Atlantic world. \nCHRISTOPHER H. EVANS\, Ph.D.\nProfessor Emeritus of History of Christianity & Methodist Studies\, Boston University School of Theology\nChristopher Evans teaches and writes on the history of Christianity\, American religion\, and Methodist history\, with additional interests in religion and popular culture. His books include The Social Gospel in American Religion and Histories of American Christianity: An Introduction. \nANN D. BRAUDE\, Ph.D.\nSenior Lecturer on American Religious History; Director\, Women’s Studies in Religion Program\, Harvard Divinity School\nAnn Braude’s scholarship focuses on American religious history with an emphasis on women and minority religious movements. She is the author of Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth-century America and is widely known for her work on the centrality of women to American religious history. \nMARGARET LAMBERTS BENDROTH\, Ph.D.\nHistorian of American Protestantism; former Executive Director\, Congregational Library & Archives (Boston)\nMargaret Lamberts Bendroth is a historian of American religion and the author of FUNDAMENTALISM AND GENDER\, 1875 TO THE PRESENT and other works on Protestant history. She served for many years as Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives.
URL:https://newtonculture.org/event/west-newton-cinema-presents-behind-the-screen-the-testament-of-ann-lee/
LOCATION:West Newton Cinema\, 1296 Washington Street\, West Newton\, MA\, 02465\, United States
CATEGORIES:Culture and Education,Film and Media
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newtonculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Testament-of-Ann-Lee.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="West Newton Cinema Foundation":MAILTO:kbrown@mit.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260222T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260222T153000
DTSTAMP:20260603T020040
CREATED:20260213T153904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260213T153925Z
UID:10023599-1771765200-1771774200@newtonculture.org
SUMMARY:West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: All God's Children
DESCRIPTION:In an unprecedented attempt to heal centuries of racism and antisemitism\, and combat the rising racial and ethnic tension in their Brooklyn communities\, the largest reform synagogue and the oldest black Baptist Church attempt to unite their congregations and bring about peace\, by becoming family. Shot over five years by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner\, ALL GOD’S CHILDREN follows her sister\, activist Rabbi Rachel Timoner\, and her Congregation Beth Elohim’s partnership with Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman of Antioch Baptist Church as their faith is put to the test\, and both congregations struggle not to let their differences drive them apart. Though it’s a fraught partnership\, they refuse to walk away\, no matter how hard it gets\, and ultimately emerge with an inspiring model for how other communities might build bridges across religious\, economic and class divides to foster enduring\, powerful partnerships. \nPANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS \nREVEREND ELIJAH GIPSON-DAVIS\nThe Rev. Elijah Gipson-Davis\, a native of Riverdale\, Georgia\, was ordained into the Gospel ministry at the New Macedonia Baptist Church. An anointed preacher\, talented scholar\, and skilled administrator\, he currently serves as the Minister of Administration and Assistant to the Pastor at the Myrtle Baptist Church of West Newton\, Massachusetts. Rev. Elijah shares academic interests in religion\, specifically African American and North American religious history\, gender and sexuality\, congregational studies\, Christian education\, and liturgics. \nRABBI TIFERET BERENBAUM\nRabbi Tiferet Berenbaum received Rabbinic Ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in 2013\, after spending a year in Israel as part of her studies. Rav Tiferet served congregations in Milwaukee\, WI and Mt. Holly\, New Jersey\, then returned home to Boston and TBZ in 2019. Always desiring to continue to learn\, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge\, MA. \nMODERATED BY: JAYMIE SAKS\nJaymie is the Director of Development at 2LifeCommunities and served for more than a decade as executive director of Boston Jewish Film (BJF) and was chief operating officer of the Jewish Women’s Archive.
URL:https://newtonculture.org/event/behind-the-screen-all-gods-children/
LOCATION:West Newton Cinema\, 1296 Washington Street\, West Newton\, MA\, 02465\, United States
CATEGORIES:Art,Community Event,Culture and Education,Film and Media
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newtonculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/All-Gods-Children.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="West Newton Cinema Foundation":MAILTO:kbrown@mit.edu
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR