Seminar on Horror Film

It overlaps with me on so many levels - horror, from a Christian perspective, and even being held at the Western campus of my alma mater. Their description follows.

Scott Derrickson, director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the upcoming Sinister and Two Eyes Staring, is a connoisseur of the horror genre’s spiritual resonances. This summer he will be leading “Transcendent Darkness,” a seminar at the Glen Workshop West, a weeklong arts workshop held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from July 29-August 5, 2012.

Scott’s seminar and the accompanying discussions will confront the grotesque in the context of grace, in the grand tradition of Flannery O’Connor. In the end, Derrickson believes, confronting the darkness in us is often not only a prelude to understanding hope, but can itself be an experience of the divine. The selection of films, from horror to film noir and more, will be a guided tour through the films that have provided the most transcendent experiences for Derrickson as a Christian and as a filmmaker.

The Glen Workshops (Glen West in New Mexico, and Glen East in Massachusetts) have been hosted by the literary journal IMAGE since 1995, and are geared towards providing a space for artists and inquirers to create and investigate art in conversation with faith. Glen attendees of many religious backgrounds, allegiances, and practices have found an openhearted community that doesn’t shy away from different understandings. The Glen also offers a rich extracurricular menu of readings, discussions, opportunities to share your work with others, ecumenical evening worship services, and a free day to explore the surrounding area and spend time with new friends. Visit www.glenworkshop.org, email glenworkshop@imagejournal.org or call the staff at 206.281.2988 for more details about Scott’s course or the workshops in general.