Now, before you run off screaming about this horrendous new product, please know that it’s a cinematic fraud…purposefully.
A group of filmmakers in Grand Rapids made this 5- minute short for a local competition. Here’s the video, then an excerpt from their site with info on the process and why they did it:
From the filmmakers:
This short film was made as part of the Compass Academy 24 Hour Film Festival. We had twenty-four hours to write, shoot, compose music, and edit a 5 minute film using the following (random) criteria that was pulled out of a hat at the start of the festival.THEME: Hell Just Froze Over
PROP: Origami Crane
LOCATION: Swimming Pool
LINE: “I just realized that we really haven’t had a successful test of this equipment.”We wanted to do something with a moral or ethical message, so at the end of the meeting we decided on abortion. Rather than taking the “Hell Froze Over” theme literally, and doing a “holier-than-thou” preachy/judgmental piece, as if abortion had vanished from the face of the earth, we decided to take the theme figuritively and addressing the issue with sarcasm, appearing to make light of the issue, as if it may some day become a rite of passage for all women.
Considering the extreme time constraints, number of shots, acting level of the students, and tough issues to deal with, (not to mention $0 budget and all volunteers), we were pretty pleased with the outcome. The festival audience and judges seemed to really “get it”.
Definitely provocative…
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June 22, 2007 at 19:16
Bye Bye Baby is incredibly powerful. It should be shown in all junior high and senior high schools along with BIRTH CONTROL AND HONEST SEX EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 22, 2007 at 22:39
One could be just as sarcastic about if she was going to actually have the baby. I’m not sure too many communities would celebrate a teen pregnancy.
June 23, 2007 at 12:47
I found it very depressing. How many people do you know who are the result of teen pregnancy? I know many. My oldest sister is an out of wedlock pregnancy and I thank God for her. I don’t think this film would be beneficial to anyone. It’s so sad how the devil entices us to sin and then beats us up with guilt and shame as long as we let him. I hurt for people who have had abortions and for parents who lost their grandchildren.
One of our pastors came home drunk as a teen and faced his dad to tell him his girlfriend was pregnant. My friend was sobbing and stinking drunk. His father put his arms around his son and told him over and over that he loved him. He became a single father as his girlfriend gave birth and gave the child to him. Thankfully God causes ALL things to work together for the good for those who love Him.
How many people would celebrate a teen pregnancy? Everyone who celebrates life.
I realize the purpose of the film is to show that no one celebrates abortion (except the devil of course.)
June 23, 2007 at 14:05
I think Richard Harty’s comment is beside the point. One can be sarcastic about anything of course, but I don’t think the point of this video is that we should celebrate teen pregnancy in the manner that abortion is being celebrated here. Why make comparisons? This message stands on its own. Abortion hasn’t turned out to be the “freedom” (as in “reproductive freedom” and “freedom of choice”) that many have defended it as being. Freedom can be celebrated. The fact that it looks so silly to celebrate abortion as freedom ought to tell us something.
June 25, 2007 at 02:07
I’m with Linda here. I don’t find the sarcasm funny at all. My implication is that if we would be more loving and less judgemental around teen pregnancy, abortion might be less of an issue. How many teens have abortions because the Christian culture condemns teen pregnancy so severely?
There is so much shame in this life already, I find it sad that Christians put so much energy into spreading even more shame.
June 25, 2007 at 08:38
That was good. Thanks for pointing it out.
June 26, 2007 at 21:32
This poignant and succint video was heartrending. Richard, Christians may indeed be judgmental, but they also minister. Many times unwed mothers find themselves trapped by a family’s name, or a clan’s pride, a forefather’s honor, or a “what will the neighbors think?” attitude – Christianity has nothing to do with the judgment on the unwed mother.
At our church, we celebrate new births in our bulletins regardless of the parents’ marital status. God saw fit to give this baby to us; we honor His gift.
While I realize there is a lot of judgmentalism on unwed mothers (still none for the unwed fathers, I notice…they are applauded for “making the hard choice to be a father” without being given the moral comeuppance, epithets and sideways glances the girls almost always receive), Christians are changing the way pregnant teens are cared for and ministered to.
I thought this film did a wonderful job of presenting, in a powerful way (maybe it’s just me, but I did not get any sarcasm, just pathos out of it), the way human life, dignity, and freedom of choice are constantly being sacrificed to the gods of convenience and especially apathy in our culture.
Very well done indeed.