Monthly movie series a sanctuary

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This article was published 19/04/2024 (857 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For Omid Moterassed, making and watching movies is akin to a religious experience.

That reverence has inspired the Winnipeg artist and curator to create a monthly sanctuary for fellow film devotees.

Sunday Service at the Park launches this weekend with a screening of the 1973 cult classic The Holy Mountain, an audience discussion and a musical performance.

“There’s a lack of what they call third spaces in the city — a lot of places have been closing down and isolation and loneliness is more prevalent than ever,” Moterassed says. “The idea is to (offer) a communal space where you can come together with a group of people with similar values.”

Moterassed, 25, has been making films since he was a teenager. He sees the craft as a playful form of creativity and community building.

“It started with this desire to play, this desire to escape, to redesign the world,” he says of his interest in filmmaking. “And it’s a very social activity too, compared to other arts … it relies on creating a sort of family for a period of time and executing a common mission, a common fantasy.”

Over time, he branched out into other artforms — including performance art and fashion design — and has recently started curating experimental live events.

Although the Sunday Service events are secular, Moterassed is borrowing elements from religious gatherings to underline the goal of cinematic worship.

On Sunday, audience members will be welcomed into the theatre at 5:30 p.m. with live music by local artist Bret Parenteau (a.k.a B.P.), the same way a church organist might welcome parishioners into the pews.

“I find music to be very healing. It’s our way of transforming the space in a sonic way and inviting that higher power into the room with us before we embark on this cinematic journey,” Moterassed says.

This weekend’s featured film will be introduced by local filmmaker Noam Gonick (Hey, Happy) and a post-screening Q&A will be hosted by Kristen Andrews, owner of Ragpickers Anti-Fashion Emporium.

The Holy Mountain is a surrealist film from writer and director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The manic plot follows a Christ-like figure on a journey of enlightenment led by a powerful alchemist.

Filled with sacrilegious symbolism and social commentary, it felt like the perfect film to kick off the Sunday Service series.

“It came out in ‘73, and yet some of the issues it tackles relate to the current housing crisis and the prevalence of war. But, most importantly, it’s a very creative film. It’s very, very inventive costume-wise, set-wise, in terms of the story and the structure. So my hope is that people can connect with it and feel inspired to create after watching it,” Moterassed says

The next Sunday Service is scheduled for May 26, with the featured film to be announced at a later date.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @evawasney