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thebenkaye.bsky.social
ben kaye
@thebenkaye.bsky.social
360 followers 350 following 660 posts
what he’s typed will be a window into his madness | writes about movies, theatre | bylines: Cine-File, Chicago Reader, The Spool, Newcity Stage, possibly you????? | chicago-based (they/he)
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thebenkaye.com
https://benkayewords.org
https://boxd.it
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thebenkaye.bsky.social
not even a huge fan of the stage show and am bummed that *this* is the adaptation that the fans are getting
November 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
thebenkaye.bsky.social
I’m just glad Molly Kearney’s getting work.
November 19, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Reposted by ben kaye
lexialex.bsky.social
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV to Representatives of the World of Cinema (15 November 2025) Dear brothers and sisters, Although cinema is now over a century old, it is still a young. dreamlike and somewhat restless art form. It will soon celebrate its 130th anniversary, counting from the tirst public screening by the Lumière brothers in Paris on 28 December 1895. From the outset, cinema was as a play of light and shadow, designed to amuse and impress. However, these visual effects soon succeeded in conveying much deeper realities, eventually becoming an expression of the desire to contemplate and understand life, to recount its greatness and fragility and to portray the longing for infinity. Dear friends, I am happy to greet and welcome you. I also express my gratitude for what cinema represents: a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all. It is wonderful to see that when the magic light of cinema illuminates the darkness, simultaneously ignites the eyes of the soul. Indeed, cinema combines what appears to be mere entertainment with the narrative of the human person's spiritual adventure. One of cinema's most valuable contributions is helping audiences consider their own lives, look at the complexity of their experiences with new eyes and examine the world as if for the first time. In doing so, they rediscover a portion of the hope that is essential for humanity to live to the fullest. I find comfort in the thought that cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion! Entering a cinema is like crossing a threshold. In the darkness and silence, vision becomes sharper, the heart opens up and the mind becomes receptive to things not yet imagined. In reality, you know that your art form requires concentration. Through your productions, you connect with people who are looking for entertainment, as well as those who carry within their hearts a sense of restlessness and are looking for meaning, justice and beauty. We live in an age where digital screens are always on. There is a constant flow of information. However, cinema … day after day. Nonetheless, cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighborhoods. More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in aflirming the social and cultural value of this activity. The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what "works," but art opens up what is possible. Not everything has to be immediate or predictable. Defend slowness when it serves a purpose, silence when it speaks and difference when evocative. Beauty is not just a means of escape; it is above all an invocation. When cinema is authentic, it does not merely console, but challenges. It articulates the questions that dwell within us, and sometimes, even provokes tears that we did not know we needed to express. In this Jubilee Year, the Church invites us to journey towards hope, your presence here from so many different countries, and your artistic work in particular, is a shining example. Like so many others who come to Rome from all over the world, you too are on a journey as pilgrims of the imagination, seekers of meaning, narrators of hope and heralds of humanity. Your journey is not measured in kilometers but in images, words, emotions, shared memories and collective desires. You navigate this pilgrimage into the mystery of human experience with a penetrating gaze that is capable of recognizing beauty even in the depths of pain, and of discerning hope in the tragedy of violence and war. The Church esteems you for your work with light and time, with faces and landscapes, with words and silence. Pope Saint Paul VI once spoke to artists saying: "If you are friends of genuine art, you are our friends," recalling that "this world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair" (Address of Pope Paul VI to Artists, 8 December 1965). I wish to renew this friendship because cinema is a workshop of hope, a place where people can… regard, dear seasoned and novice filmmakers, I invite you to make cinema an art of the Spirit. In the present era, there is a need for witnesses of hope, beauty and truth. You can fulfill this role through your artistic work. Good cinema and those who create and star in it have the power to recover the authenticity of imagery in order to safeguard and promote human dignity. Do not be afraid to confront the world's wounds. Violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction and forgotten wars are issues that need to be acknowledged and narrated. Good cinema does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it. This is what all the great directors have done. Giving voice to the complex, contradictory and sometimes dark feelings that dwell in the human heart is an act of love. Art must not shy away from the mystery of frailty; it must engage with it and know how to remain before it. Without being didactic, authentically artistic forms of cinema possess the capacity to educate the audience's gaze. In conclusion, filmmaking is a communal effort, a collective endeavor in which no one is self-sufficient. While everyone recognizes the skill of the director and the genius of the actors, a film would be impossible without the quiet dedication of hundreds of other professionals, including assistants, runners, prop masters, electricians, sound engineers, equipment technicians, makeup artists, hairstylists, costume designers, location managers, casting directors, directors of photography, music directors, screenwriters, editors, special effects technicians and producers. Every voice, every gesture and every skill contributes to a work that can only exist as a whole. In an age of exaggerated and confrontational personalities, you demonstrate that creating a quality film requires dedication and talent. Thanks to the gifts and qualities of those whom you work alongside, everyone can make their unique charisma shine in a collaborative and fraternal atmosphere. May your cinema always be …
November 15, 2025 at 11:43 AM
thebenkaye.bsky.social
(citing Barbican as an example of a multi-disciplinary arts center, less so regarding its specific funding source)
November 14, 2025 at 3:35 PM