Where to look for Orthodox videos on the Internet
Christian films are rarely found on popular sites such as YouTube or Iwi. It is much more convenient to choose and watch a religious film on special sites where you can see films recommended by other people, the year of release and rating of the film, and read reviews.
You can watch films for free online or download them to your computer.
Rating of the best sites with religious films:
- https://www.radostmoya.ru — TV channel “My Joy”;
- https://tv-soyuz.ru - Soyuz TV channel;
- https://vk.com/club3233698 - VKontakte group “Orthodox Video and Audio”;
- https://sretenie.org - Sretenie TV channel.
Children of God (Children of God, 1994). John Smithson.
In a short documentary by Briton John Smithson (producer of the film Sherpa
about climbers) tells about the victims of the cult, which is now called the International Family, and in the year of its founding, 1968, was called Teenagers for Christ, and became famous as the Children of God.
Considering the half-century stretch of time, the obsession with sex of the cult leader David Berg and the encouragement of promiscuity among his followers, it is not surprising that the victims of the Children of God were often children.
This is what Smithson demonstrates. The focus of his film is on the Padilla family: a mother who lived in the sect for 18 years and her four daughters, whom she gave birth to from different fathers while there. At the time of filming the film, they all left Berg’s sect, having received numerous psychological traumas at parting.
Traveling to homes once associated with the Children of God (and they range from Costa Rica to Great Britain), they recall the horrifying details of life in the sect. For example, the death of a sister from a lack of medicine: they were prohibited; or numerous cases of sexual harassment of minors.
And you can see how the memory of those events still makes them choke with shame and guilt.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZoqs5wkWCI
Christian Movies for Family Viewing
To watch with the whole family, which includes both small children and adults, you need to choose kind and sincere comedies and melodramas.
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List of the best Orthodox family films:
"Pop" (2009)
The film immerses you in the times of the Great Patriotic War, or rather in the events and changes in the church of that time.
The plot revolves around the mission of priests from the Baltic states - the restoration of a church in the former lands occupied by the Germans.
"A Little Life" (2008)
Pilipko is a boy who does not know about the death of his mother during the hungry years and goes in search of her. The monks who saved him from hunger instilled faith in his soul. Since then, he has not parted with her all his life.
Having learned about the serious illness of an unknown girl, young Pilipko decides to save her. To do this, he prays to Saint Panteleimon and draws his icon.
"Father Matvey" (2014-2017)
A series about the life of a priest in a quiet small town. Only at first glance, life here seems calm.
In fact, the town hides many secrets and mysteries, the solution to which falls to Fr. Matvey.
"Boris I" (1984)
Historical film about the life of Boris in 863, about his politics and battles.
The main emphasis is on the unification of the state with the help of Christianity, when the ruler decides to baptize all the inhabitants of the country, as well as the education of the Slavs.
"Creation"
A short film in which in half an hour you can see the entire history of the creation of the planet. The film, which features beautiful scenes, has won awards.
"Battle of Kosovo" (1989)
The historical event that occurred on June 15, 1389 can be seen in a colorful representation in the film.
The battle is experienced as a celebration of martyrs, but not as a loss.
"Oath Record" (1983)
The film shows the long and difficult path of unification of peoples and politicians that took place in 1983. The transition of Georgia to Russian rule is seen as the end of events.
"Icon" (2012)
The two parts of the film are united by the icon of St. George. The first passage tells about the fate of the Georgian Lali, her family and the reason for coming to Moscow.
Next, it tells about the arrival of Father Dmitry, who is looking for a memorial icon of St. George.
“Stephen the Great – 1475” (1975)
Stephen the Great denies Mehmed II recognition of the patronage of the Ottoman Empire. Knowing that this stops Mehmed’s plans to conquer Europe, Stefan prepares an army and inspires people, instilling faith in their souls.
"Sibirochka" (2003)
A television story based on the book by Lydia Charskaya, telling about the fate of an orphan girl who would later become an aristocrat, leading an Orthodox lifestyle.
The following films are not Orthodox, but also on Christian themes:
"Miracles from Heaven" (2016)
Everything was perfect for the Bim family until the middle daughter fell ill with a fatal disease. Now they do not see happiness in a huge house and ordinary things.
Their child is literally dying before their eyes, but they are not ready to put up with this and decide to turn to Christ for help. The film is based on real events, and the main character is shown at the end.
“Behind the Blackboard” (2011)
The main character of the film is a young mother and teacher Stacy. Seeing the level of education of homeless children, she decides to give up everything and teach in a special school.
Having cast aside all doubts and fears, the girl successfully teaches children and instills faith in their souls.
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008)
The action takes place during the Second World War. Bruno is an eight-year-old German boy who does not even know what military events look like. Because of Dad's new job, the family moves to a new house near a concentration camp.
There Bruno meets a Jew of his own age. The new friend tells the boy the truth, and he runs away from home. The boy understands that only faith makes people live.
"What if?" (2010)
Ben's whole life is business. He has no family or other hobbies.
The man chose a career over love and faith, and now Christ decides to show him what Ben’s life would look like if he devoted his life to faith.
"The Road to God" (2016)
A biopic about a boy living in Chicago during the Al Capino era. His hometown turns into a piggy bank of fear.
To console his fears and endure his father's attacks, the boy decides to join a gang. However, after a few years, he realizes that he cannot live like this and turns to God.
"More Than Dreams" (2007)
The film, based on real events, tells the stories of former Muslims. They all have some problems: alcoholism, lack of faith, dislike of their relatives, etc. But after meeting Christ, five ordinary people see the joy of life and follow God’s advice.
Obsession (Going Clear, 2015). Alex Gibney.
The film by one of the best documentarians of our day, Alex Gibney, develops this topic and at the same time sheds a sufficient amount of light on the sect, which, through blackmail and threats, won the title of religion in the United States. Mainly to avoid paying taxes.
The founder of Scientology was Lafayette Ronald Hubbard - a failed military man, a kind of husband (according to the testimony of one of his wives) and an extremely prolific author of popular science novels. It was the latter, coupled with fragments of psychotherapeutic practices, that served as the basis for Hubbard’s main work, the bible of Scientologists - Dianetics.
Gibney sheds light first on the beginnings of Scientology with Hubbard, then focuses on a much scarier period: when the founder died and his church was led by a man named David Miscavige. Under his unprincipled and ambitious rule, Scientologists got rid of the burden of taxation, enlisted the support of Tom Cruise (who in the film appears first as a believer, and then almost as a hostage of Miscavige, but in both cases not a very smart person) and increased their capitalization to several billion dollars.
The nonsense here is no less wild and dangerous than in Will Allen’s film, but there are more broken destinies. And also in Obsession
(in the original
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
) clearly shows that the larger the sect, the more aggressively it defends itself: under Miscavige, Scientologists were mired in scandals involving accusations of persecution, threats to life, violence, blackmail, and manipulation of public opinion.
Documentary - about faith, church and saints of God
There are a lot of really good documentaries about God, about the life of monks in monasteries, about churches and elders, so it’s worth looking for them.
Rating of the best Orthodox documentaries:
"Russian Righteous" (2012) from TV
A series of films consisting of 8 parts, which show the life path of the Saints. The heroes of the stories were the princes of Rus', Hieromartyr John Vostorgov, Patriarch Tikhon Belavin, saints - Alexander Nevsky, Daniil of Moscow, Innocent of China, Abbess Taisiya Leushinskaya, etc., as well as ordinary people trying to adhere to Orthodox traditions.
"The Road to the Temple" from TV
A manual used in Sunday schools. The themes of the films correspond to the lessons: God, the visible and invisible world, Personality, Family, Church, Prayer, etc.
"God's Law"
Spiritual and educational video lessons that will introduce adults and children to the basics of religion: prayers, icons, Christian symbols and talk about the lives of the Saints.
"Way of the Cross"
The history of our country is connected with the formation of Orthodoxy. The Church unites nationalities, characters, families, it preserves the integrity of the state.
"School of Repentance"
A series of programs aimed at studying the church from the inside. 8 programs will tell about the thoughts, conversations and deeds of church teachers and fathers. The collection of conversations “Passion - Diseases of the Soul” conveys the conversation of the priests about fornication, anger, despondency, etc. The collection “Secrets of Christianity. About Holy Communion" will tell you what the duty of a Christian is and how often one should receive communion.
From the conversations “Difficulties in preparing for confession” you can learn everything about sins and their atonement. The conversations “On the Path to Salvation” are based on the works of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church. The many different themes of the programs will definitely make you think.
Jesus Camp (2006). Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady.
Ewing and Grady's film describes the situation surrounding a group more rooted in public consciousness and history: radical evangelicals. And their weaker victims - children.
The story centers on a woman named Becky Fisher and her camp of children serving at the Burning School.
— a frightening place where little Christians were turned into Republican warriors named after George W. Bush. Using the example of Fisher and her charges, the authors showed how disgusting the struggle between two ideologies in the United States can be: liberal and conservative.
The camp was closed shortly after the film's premiere, but the parents teaching their children about creationism (pseudoscientific attempts to justify outdated ideas about the world in religious texts), fearing the underworld at every turn, and Becky Fisher and others like her remained. Movie Jesus Camp
leaves a slightly more bitter aftertaste, because the scale of the sleep of the mind is much more serious here.
Orthodox films for children
Orthodox cartoons and children's films have a clear advantage over ordinary ones. They promise a kind and good ending, which is worth a lot in our time.
List of the best children's Orthodox films:
"Malanya" (2013)
Malanya is ridiculed due to her very kind and compliant nature. Living in a merchant settlement, the girl never thinks about her own benefit, so her life is spent in poverty. However, Malanya proves that the main thing in life is friendship and help.
"Theme's Childhood" (1990)
The theme of Kartashov is a young high school student who grows up in a noble family, denying himself nothing. His childhood was leisurely and joyful. However, something distinguishes him from his childhood in the yard.
"Tales of the Saints" from the body
A series of cartoons describing the lives of saints not only in detail, but also understandable for children:
"Kupelka" for children from television
One of the most interesting and educational programs for children, which will talk about faith and its importance, and also instill the love of the church. The duration of one episode is about 10 minutes. The priest tells various fairy tales, attracting the children's attention with colorful pictures.
"The Extraordinary Journey of Seraphim" (2015)
A cartoon about Sima Voskresnaya, who lost her parents at the beginning of the war. In the orphanage, she secretly carries a cross with her.
One day, Serafima and her friend Rita go to a mysterious closet under the stairs, where the girl learns the truth about her parents.
List of non-Orthodox films with a Christian plot:
"Polyanna" (2003)
A film about the most cheerful girl in the world - Pollyanna. She knows how to find the positive in any situation and turn life into a game.
After the girl’s arrival, the town is literally teeming with positivity and acquaintances. A children's heartfelt fairy tale teaches us to believe, rejoice and give thanks.
"The Chronicles of Narnia" (2005)
A film that has long been loved by children. However, there is an important detail to consider.
Christ in the film is depicted as a lion, since in the Bible Christ is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
"The Life of Zucchini" (2016)
Zucchini is not a vegetable at all, but a boy. His mother dies and he ends up in an orphanage. Zucchini, who was completely at a loss, gets used to life in an orphanage.
He falls in love for the first time, makes new friends, is disappointed, but continues to trust people and love the world with the help of faith.
"Angel Next Door" (2012)
Olivia is a little girl who dreams of a family with two parents. While doing her "My Impossible Christmas Wish" homework, she realizes that all her wishes are coming true.
Olivia suspects her neighbor of this, but, having gotten to know her better, she draws other conclusions.
Holy Hell (2016). William Francesco Allen.
If you try to synthesize from hundreds of thousands of personal stories the reasons why a person ends up in one or another cult, then among the main ones will be: the search for answers (read: the meaning of life) and not fitting into the established framework. Director of the film Holy Hell
, about a cult around a man named Jamie Gomez, Will Allen was hooked primarily because he didn't fit in.
In 1985, when his mother found out that Allen was gay, she kicked her 22-year-old son out onto the street. His sister came to the rescue by inviting the guy to the Buddhafield commune in East Hollywood. The girl had been there for nine months.
The reason for the existence of the commune was the same Jamie Gomez, aka Michel Rostand, aka Andreas, aka The Teacher - a failed actor in feature films (the peak of his career was a silent role in Rosemary's Baby
) and, conversely, took place in films for adults. The core details of his image were: a ridiculously thoughtful look, black eyeliner and revealing swimming trunks.
Drawing inspiration from New Age philosophy, he called himself and his followers gods, transmitted energy with the touch of a finger, and forced other cult members to practice ballet for hours.
Allen left the Buddhafield cult in 2007 after living there for 22 years. Despite numerous scandals involving allegations of sexual abuse of men, Jamie Gomez's sect still exists. True, the guys moved to Hawaii.
Their case clearly demonstrates what kind of nonsense a person who is not so much astray, but who is looking for something new, can believe.
