Twenty years after her Academy Award-winning performance as Sister Helen Prejean in “Dead Man Walking,” Susan Sarandon is attached to another project about politically progressive nuns. Sarandon has signed on to executive produce Rebecca Parrish’s “Radical Grace,” a documentary that chronicles three feminist nuns who challenge the conservatism of the Catholic Church through their social-justice work, which includes protests for women’s equality in the church and raising awareness about economic inequality.
“This film comes at a major crossroads in the Catholic church, and the nuns are everything that’s right with the institution. They stand with the marginalized and won’t be bullied by a hierarchy that still doesn’t treat them as equals,” said Sarandon. She elaborated how her own relationship with religion influenced her view of the doc, explaining, “I was raised Catholic, and while I couldn’t stay in a church that sidelines women and the LGBT community, spirituality is still an important part of my life. I feel a deep connection to the women featured in ‘Radical Grace,’ and this film will hopefully build a movement toward a more inclusive and just church and world.”
This is very much a movement that we can get on board with, and we’re pleased to see that the story of this female-led movement is being told by a woman director and female producers (Sarandon, Nicole Bernardi-Reis).
“Radical Grace” will premiere at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto on April 28.
[via Variety]
