god loves uganda is a documentary film produced and directed by roger ross williams , which premiered at the 2013 sundance film festival .

it explores connections between evangelicalism in north america and in uganda , suggesting that the north american influence is the reason behind the controversial uganda anti-homosexuality act , which at one point raised the possibility of the death penalty for gays and lesbians .

the filmmakers follow a group of young missionaries from the international house of prayer in their first missionary effort in another nation , as well as interviewing several evangelical leaders from the us and uganda .

williams was inspired to make god loves uganda when he met david kato , an lbgt activist who was killed in 2011 , ostensibly in a robbery .

kato told there was an untold story of the damage american fundamentalist evangelicals are doing in uganda ; of the insidious nature of their aggressive effort to harvest young , unclaimed souls to preach a gospel of love intertwined with a gospel of intolerance .

god loves uganda

a wrap report of the sundance premiere of “god loves uganda” by roger ross williams .
god loves uganda + q & a friday 14th june 2013 , 18 . 00 , odeon
elsewhere at sundance , the documentary god loves uganda inspired the kind of audience outrage the director actually intended .
in the documentary god loves uganda , director roger ross williams traces the bill ' s origins to the american evangelical missions in uganda .
you ' d never guess the subject matter of
god loves uganda
from its innocuous - sounding title .
the public square + god loves uganda + q & a saturday 15th june 2013 , 17 . 45 , odeon
god loves uganda
approaches this intersection of faith and politics with some fairness and a good deal of outrage .
the ihopkc leadership team have put together a statement of answers and questions about our stance on the god loves uganda documentary .
all screenings will start at 5 : 30pm ( with the exception of god loves ugand a – see below ) .
god loves uganda charts the rise in persecution and intolerance in the african nation as america ' s christian right takes its anti - gay fight to new territory .
a street preacher in kampala , uganda , is captured during the documentary ,
god loves uganda
, which will screen during the american documentary film festival , march 27 - 31 , in palm springs .
see conservative evangelical vice presidential candidate mike pence ' s racist , ignorant colonialist comments about hiv / aids funding in africa from the critically acclaimed documentary
god loves uganda .
scott lively’s 2009 trip to uganda to advocate for a bill that would punish lgbt people with the death penalty featured heavily in god loves uganda . lively himself has said that his visit to uganda was “ like a nuclear bomb ” in terms of galvanizing the anti - gay movement there .
god loves uganda is scheduled to screen march 28 during the american documentary film festival at camelot theatres in palm springs . filmmaker roger ross williams will be present for a q & a after the screening .
those who demand pure objectivity from their documentaries may stumble on god loves uganda , which never pretends to be impartial , probably because it ' s next to impossible to do so when tackling this topic .
masterfully crafted and astonishingly provocative , ' god loves uganda ' may be the most terrifying film of the year ,
david courier , senior programmer at the sundance film festival , commented about the film .
it ' s an unsettling reality revealed in god loves uganda , a powerful and chilling documentary about american evangelicals who have latched onto uganda as fertile ground for spreading their gospel of intolerance to change african culture with values from the u . s . christian right .
god loves uganda ,
a controversial new documentary , premiered at the sundance film festival in utah last week , seeking to expose what the filmmakers say is the dark side of christian evangelism in african countries .
a searing look at the role of american evangelical missionaries in the persecution of gay africans , roger ross williams’s “god loves uganda” approaches this intersection of faith and politics with some fairness and a good deal of outrage .
these exporters of hate are working overtime to bring their intolerant views to countries around the world , but you can help fight back by supporting films like god loves uganda . visit urltoken to find a screening near you .
god loves uganda is a co - production of full credit productions , inc . , motto pictures , inc . , and the independent television service ( itvs ) , with funding provided by the corporation for public broadcasting ( cpb ) .
it was kato who inspired williams to make god loves uganda . he told williams there are lots of films about uganda , but the untold story was the damage american fundamentalist evangelicals are doing in uganda , and the insidious nature of their aggressive effort to harvest young , unclaimed souls to preach a gospel of love intertwined with a gospel of intolerance .
lou engle , the head of the international house of prayer is another “star” of god loves uganda . in 2010 , engle held a rally for over 1 , 000 people in kampala where he praised the uganda’s “courage” and “righteousness” in proposing the anti - gay legislation . engle called uganda “ground zero” for his campaign to preach homophobia around the world .
q . the director of god loves uganda claims that evangelical missionary activity ( including that of ihopkc ) is a numbers game , a fight for souls , and that ihopkc does not care about social justice or humanitarian issues . is this true ?
god loves uganda premiered at the sundance film festival on friday , jan . 18 . directed by academy award winner roger ross williams , the documentary examines the relationship between american evangelical churches , their missionaries and anti - gay laws in africa , like uganda ' s so - called
kill the gays
bill .
filmmaker roger ross williams , who won an oscar for his short film music by prudence , returned to africa to tell another powerful story in god loves uganda . in this interview he talks about his own church - centric upbringing and how he . . .
roger ross williams won the 2010 academy award for best documentary ( short subject ) with his film music by prudence and is the first african american to win an oscar for directing and producing a film . god loves uganda was produced by julie goldman and motto pictures .
a . the international house of prayer has developed a missions school over the past few years . we have sent missions teams and individual missionaries to many nations . the only missions team that has ever gone to uganda is the team that the god loves uganda film crew followed . we have not sent any other missionaries to uganda , and while we have friends in uganda ( as we have in many nations ) , we have no organizational presence there .
today , the academy awards narrowed down the potential documentary film nominees to fifteen , which will be narrowed down to a final five in january 2014 when the full list of oscar nominations is announced . among those included is the lgbt - themed documentary , god loves uganda .
i believe this is the call , which god has called me to bring the good news to lgbtq people ,
he says .
that they also were created by god , made in the image of god , which a number of our churches don ' t like to say .
god loves uganda explores the role of the american evangelical movement in uganda , the “pearl of africa , ” where american missionaries have been credited with creating schools and hospitals , but also blamed for promoting dangerous religious bigotry . for many american evangelicals , uganda is fertile territory to spread their interpretation of the bible . but their proselytizing may have more nefarious results than they realize , as the missionaries’ teachings about homosexuality becomes part of a culture of intolerance and hatred towards uganda’s lgbt community . more
' god loves uganda ' : how religion fueled an anti - gay movement in the documentary , director roger ross williams explores the role of american evangelicals in the anti - gay movement there . williams and christopher senyonjo , an excommunicated anglican bishop , discuss the collision of religion and politics .
williams , who received an academy award for best documentary ( short subject ) in 2010 for his film , music by prudence , recently spoke with palm springs life about the making of god loves uganda , gaining access with the missionaries , and his effort to raise awareness about abuse of religious power .
god loves uganda is a documentary film produced and directed by roger ross williams which premiered at the 2013 sundance film festival . the film explores the role of the american evangelical movement in uganda , where american missionaries have been credited with both creating schools and hospitals and promoting dangerous religious bigotry . we follow evangelical leaders in america and uganda along with politicians and missionaries as they attempt the task of eliminating “sexual sin” and converting ugandans to fundamentalist christianity .
roger ross williams’ deeply disturbing , eye - opening documentary , god loves uganda , explores the role white , evangelical americans played in spreading anti - gay sentiment across the african country , which led–frighteningly–to ugandan parliament proposing the anti - homosexuality bill , which criminalizes homosexual relations and actions and deems them punishable by death .
hrc congratulates the producers of god loves uganda for being named as a finalist for an academy award nomination for best documentary . this powerful film details how some american conservatives have worked to bring their anti - gay beliefs and the american culture wars to uganda . leaders like scott lively and lou engle have used their distorted view of the bible to incite a violent breed of homophobia overseas .
13 may . god loves uganda ( 2013 ) – roger ross williams ( united states / uganda ) . * * special time and place : 4 : 30 at max palevsky theater in ida noyes hall . screening to be followed by a discussion and reception with the filmmaker roger ross williams * * a documentary about the rise of evangelical homophobia in uganda , the film follows american and ugandan religious leaders as they “battle for the soul” of africa . more information here .
it was an effective strategy for williams . the missionaries not only stand up for their beliefs and mission in god loves uganda , they do so terrifyingly so , with smiles and hugs while spreading hateful anti - gay rhetoric . by letting the missionaries tell their own story , williams gained access and a tentative trust with them .
“the church’s vocation is to rule history with god…the same authority that has been given to christ jesus for overwhelming conquering and dominion has been given to the saints of the most high… . we’re god’s rulers upon the earth…we will govern over kings and judges will have to submit…we’re called to rule ! to change history ! to be co - regents with god ! ”
“god loves uganda , ” a documentary about american evangelical involvement in inflaming anti - gay sentiment in that country , made its debut at last year’s sundance festival and reached a broader audience through this week’s broadcast on public television . the attention from this week’s broadcast has provoked a response from the international house of prayer ( ihop ) .
the world has never had an up - close look at how anti - gay animus is exported from the united states to places like uganda ,
said andre banks , executive director and co - founder of all out .
god loves uganda shows us how the u . s . culture war is being shipped wholesale to africa , sometimes unknowingly , but always with disastrous consequences . the film should be required viewing .
directed by roger ross williams , god loves uganda captures american and ugandan evangelicals attempting to bring america ' s right - wing conservative beliefs to uganda . of particular interest to these evangelicals is fighting
sexual immorality
by using the bible to incite homophobia . the film originally premiered at the sundance film festival in 2013 where it received an audience award , and continues to screen in select theaters . check out the trailer below !
moreover , god loves uganda correctly shows that the antihomosexual agenda there has been driven , in part , by some american evangelicals , notably scott lively , a very minor figure at home in the united states , and lou engle , one of the founders of the international house of prayer ( ihop ) and known to many more as . . .
you didn’t mention the us evangelical angle with the ugandan law . there is an upcoming documentary , “god loves uganda” , that portrays the role missionaries supposedly played in getting it started . here is a short preview video from the guardian website , that also shows some eerie footage from the parliament and the cheerful reception the proposed bill got there : urltoken
lou engle , an ihop co - founder , is a dominionist who believes the church’s role is to “rule history with god . ”
a growing majority of people of faith in the united states are supportive of the rights of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people to live and love , but god loves uganda exposes the subversive segment of u . s . churches that export dangerous anti - gay belief systems , which have provided momentum for some of the worst anti - gay laws in the world .
in addition to the good news about god loves uganda , this year has seen several other lgbt - themed documentaries worth noting . the film bridegroom takes a compelling look at the issue of marriage equality after one of two men in a committed relationship tragically passes away . check out bridegroom ' s trailer here , and watch it now on netflix , itunes , and amazon .
moving back and forth between scenes in kansas city and uganda , editors richard hankin and benjamin gray weave the divergent material together into a compelling portrait of a volatile situation that is , at heart , fueled and financed by american cultural wars . god loves uganda is not a subtle film and might have benefited from a bit more nuance in discussing the issues . surely not all christian efforts in uganda are reprehensible . but williams is to be commended not only for his filmmaking skill , but also for pulling back the curtain on a most disturbing situation .
' which means you who are refugees are specially loved by god , that jesus himself was a refugee and he loves you and he stands with you and the suffering that you have is the suffering that he knows . so i pray for you , i will advocate for you . '
the world has never had an up - close look at how anti - gay animus is exported from the united states to places like uganda ,
said andre banks , executive director and co - founder of all out , a gay rights advocacy group .
' god loves uganda ' shows us how the u . s . culture war is being shipped wholesale to africa , sometimes unknowingly , but always with disastrous consequences . the film should be required viewing .
an account of the american evangelicals ' attempts to indoctrinate their christian right beliefs in uganda .
and the situation ' s only been exacerbated by american evangelicals preaching anti - gay dogma in uganda - - rushing into the vacuum left by the collapse of idi amin ' s regime in 1979 . roger ross williams ' new documentary ,
god loves uganda ,
depicts the process by which american proselytizers have taught anti - gay hatred to the people of uganda . characters in the film include scott lively , the author of anti - gay screed
the pink swastika
; jono hall , a media trainer teaching students at the international house of prayer how to make multimedia production ; and jo anna watson , a mentor to young prospective missionaries to uganda .
a . ihopkc is committed to giving to the poor and to efforts that forward the great commission of jesus throughout the earth . we do this primarily in our own city ( kansas city ) through efforts that feed the poor , support widows and orphans , and help local schools and evangelism projects . we also support missionaries in other nations ; however , we have never supported any of the individuals shown in the god loves uganda documentary .
a . in spring 2013 a documentary was released at the sundance film festival , entitled god loves uganda . the documentary explores the rationale behind a controversial piece of legislation proposed in uganda that called for draconian , punitive measures against acts of homosexuality . the main rationale that the documentary explores is the influence of evangelicalism in north america , and in particular it follows a group of students from the international house of prayer . the inference of the film is that such “foot soldiers” are fomenting anti - gay rhetoric and fervor , which has led to persecution of those in uganda who identify themselves as lgbt ( lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender ) .
roger ross williams’ eye - opening documentary follows evangelicals who travel to uganda to convert souls and demonize gays .
bishop christopher senyonjo was for many years a respected religious leader in uganda and rose to become a bishop . however , in the early ’90s his commission was revoked because of his support and compassion for gays . he continues his own “mission” in uganda and was awarded the clinton global citizen award in 2012 for his work and unwavering belief that “we are all god ' s children . ”
' the bible tells us that the refugee is specially loved by god , ' welby said as he joined in prayers in a camp in the northern district of moyo .
documentary looks into uganda ' s activist gay community
. voice of america , march 3 , 2012 .
for awhile , i was having a hard time tracking this film down because i had convinced myself that it was called god hates uganda . here we have the story of local and foreign evangelists competing for the hearts and minds of ugandan citizens with little regard for the hatred that they brew .
gospel of intolerance : u . s . evangelicals fund uganda antigay movement | op - docs | the new york times
roger ross williams directed and produced god loves uganda and music by prudence , winner of the 2010 academy award for documentary short subject . he is the first african american to win an oscar for directing and producing a film . he has produced and directed dozens of hours of non - fiction programming for major television networks and cable channels . williams has won numerous awards for his work . currently williams has several projects in development , including a feature narrative film about the african american baptist church titled black sheep .
williams noted in the q & a that the american evangelicals ( mostly from an organisation called ihop , or international house of prayer ) happily participated in the film - - knowing that he didn ' t share their views - - because they wanted the world to behold their work . those less inclined to swallow what ihop is serving up will find god loves uganda chilling and disturbing , but they ' ll also be inspired to find out what they can do to curb that country ' s human rights violations .
in the well - known trope about africa , a white man journeys into the heart of darkness and finds the mystery of africa and its unknowable otherness . i , a black man , made that journey and found . . . america ,
roger ross williams said .
i hope god loves uganda helps accelerate the good work of organizations like all out by helping american evangelicals understand the negative consequences of some of the deadly lessons imported to africa by some people of faith . we should be terrified by the results of these actions .
evangelicals take american cultural wars to uganda as they convert souls and demonize gays in this unsettling and well - crafted film . twitter
using vérité - style camerawork , interviews , and hidden camera footage , god loves uganda allows american religious leaders and their young missionaries that make up the “front lines in a battle for billions of souls” to explain their positions in their own words . this includes lou engle , creator of the call , which brings tens of thousands of believers together in “solemn assemblies . ” it also offers a rare view of the most powerful evangelical minister in uganda , and of a ugandan church where a preacher whips a congregation into mass hysteria with anti - gay rhetoric . it also features the story of bishop christopher senyonjo , a minister excommunicated , ostracized , and literally spat on for being tolerant , who campaigns for peace and healing in uganda , as well as an interview with gay activist david kato shortly before he was murdered .
for me , i’m a filmmaker , i’ll always be making films . when
god loves uganda
gets recognized , with the incredible team i ' ve had this time , it’s been a dream . and to have success and be at sundance and all the attention around the film , with a team i adore that’s very professional - - it ' s been amazing and transformative . i got very emotional talking to a reporter who asked me what it would mean if i won a second oscar . it would mean vindication . vindication ! that’s the honest truth .
while religious leaders within and outside uganda have seemingly benefited from american largesse , a few lone voices have emerged to speak out , and they give the film its moral backbone . the rev . kapya kaoma was formerly an anglican priest in uganda but was forced to flee the country and now , based in boston , conducts research on the christian right’s colonization of african values and the violent intolerance of lgbt people in uganda .
god loves uganda , which premiered on friday at sundance , is more disturbing : it documents the efforts of evangelicals to export america’s culture war to africa . missionaries , of course , have been going to africa for centuries now . what’s different is an effort not just to bring jesus to africa , but the entire political agenda of the american conservative movement . they’re not just bringing the message that “jesus saves , ” but a raft of positions about which christians may disagree : abstinence over birth control , adoption over abortion , and , most disturbingly , the complete eradication of any trace of homosexuality from society .
boyd , lydia . 2015 . preaching prevention : born - again christianity and the moral politics of aids in uganda . athens : ohio university press .
the film traces the missionary efforts of the international house of prayer ( ihop ) and follows a group of young people on a trip to uganda .
in fact , engle is a remarkably polarizing figure who has frequently describes those who disagree with him on abortion and marriage as being in league with satan in a confrontation between good an evil . “god loves uganda” includes footage of engle’s pro - prop . 8 rally in california at which he warned that allowing same - sex couples to get married would unleash “sexual insanity” and a spirit “more demonic than islam . ” in 2011 , he organized an event in detroit that was pitched to local pastors as a unity event for people of faith to pray for detroit’s economy when its actual purpose was to “invade dearborn” and convert followers of “demonic” islam to christianity .
supporters of the lgbt community in uganda , like bishop christopher senyonjo ( one of the subjects of the film ) , are few and far between . as visiting missionaries from american organizations like the international house of prayer continue to propagate their anti - gay ideals , uganda grows more and more desperate for a radical change in national morality . williams’ terrific documentary will hopefully be a catalyst for discussion on the issue and lead to a brighter future for uganda’s lgbt community .
park city —the list of travesties committed by religion in the name of god is lengthy . now you can add uganda to the list . in roger ross williams ’ eye - opening documentary , the kansas city - based evangelical group international house of prayer ( ihop ) is seen not only spreading the gospel to desperate people in uganda , but also demonizing homosexuality and banning the use of condoms among a population heavily hit by hiv . this is clearly a film with an agenda and will be well - received by like - minded viewers on a socially conscious cable outlet .
you struck a goldmine there , didn’t you ? ! i struck a goldmine ! i’m going to send a crew to uganda to film a video spot of him .
most have fled south to uganda , whose open - door refugee policy is now creaking under the sheer weight of numbers in sprawling camps carved out of the bush .
the story god loves uganda tells is damning . director william , who grew up in a religious household , said he is “fascinated by both religion and its power to do evil . ” it is , nonetheless , worth asking whether the anti - gay views of the american church can be so clearly blamed for what is happening in a society where homophobia was already prevalent . and the documentary vacillates between a heavy - handed depiction of crazed , hateful cultists , and a more earnest effort to chronicle the lives of well - meaning american missionaries . but somewhere in there is a sharp message , delivered best in the film by bishop christopher senyonjo , who asks which part of the christian gospels calls for evangelizing hatred ?
there are few places on earth as inhospitable to gays as uganda . the nation is weighing the anti - homosexuality bill , which would punish homosexual acts with draconian punishments .
these adults are putting into practice across uganda an aggressive campaign , bolstered by tried - and - true evangelical techniques that have come to be less effective in the u . s .
but i felt god wanted me to go back ,
senyonjo says .
i ' ve been harassed , but people are coming to know that what i ' m trying to do is not really something which should make someone regarded as an enemy of our nation .
recently , i was on al jazeera with the former vice president of uganda , dr . gilbert bukenya who is currently a member of parliament and is running for president of uganda . he could likely be the next president of uganda . we had this incredible dialogue . i traveled to washingto d . c . , and we screened the film . his daughter and assistant came to the screening , and afterwards said , “wow , this film totally opened our eyes . this is exactly what’s going on in our country . ” she later told me her father wanted to meet with me . dr . bukenya had been in support of the anti - homosexuality bill . i ended up in this hotel room with the possible future president of uganda !
williams , who says grew up in the black church but was later rejected when he came out as gay , focuses on a group of evangelical christians in uganda and their evangelism efforts .
a woman wraps archbishop of canterbury justin welby in a piece of cloth upon arrival at mirieyi settlement camp in adjumani district during his visit to south sudanese refugees , uganda august 2 , 2017 .
a . evangelicalism has become a byword among many , and perhaps , at times , for good reason . however , the history of evangelicalism sees a people convinced by the claims of christ as shown in the bible , which , as a result of a spiritual transformation in their own lives , has led to great social reforms in human history : the abolition of the slave trade , the feeding of the poor , the establishment of labor laws , education as a right for all . we identify and seek to emulate this evangelical tradition , seeking justice for the whole person . we , along with the body of christ , seek to serve both the spiritual and physical needs of people : spiritual needs through prayer , bible translation , teaching , and evangelism , and physical needs through feeding programs , training programs , clothing those in need , combating the orphan crisis , and seeking to end sex - trafficking . the students that the god loves uganda film crew followed were involved in prayer , evangelism , and humanitarian activities . at no point were they preaching sexual morality or fomenting anti - gay rhetoric in uganda .
outside his home , david kato ( 1964 - 2011 ) recounts how he found out about
gay life
when he was living in south africa ten years earlier . he picked up a gay escort and had sex for the first time , at the age of twenty - eight . he then decided to return to his home country of uganda and spread gay rights there . at the headquarters of sexual minorities uganda , the lgbt non - profit organization he runs , he explains he is the first openly gay man in uganda . he adds his job is to track all instances of homophobia in uganda . we then see a man from mbale explaining he was arrested and humiliated by police officers . . . we are then introduced to naome ruzindana , a lesbian activist with two children . in 2004 , she founded the coalition of african lesbians .
thousands of refugees from south sudan arrive at the most recently established imvepi reception centre in arua district , uganda . children , women and men are fleeing the country with their belongings , livestock and sometimes with nothing .
the archbishop of canterbury , justin welby , prayed yesterday with south sudanese refugees in northern uganda , which is home to a nearly million fugitives from a four - year civil war in the world ' s youngest nation .
aside from the premise itself , the most striking thing about the film is that ihop has granted williams full access . apparently , the group thinks there is no such thing as bad publicity , and the depiction is predictably far from flattering . interviews with the bombastic leaders of the church establish the importance attached to the mission in uganda , which is regarded as “the pearl of africa” since it is so ripe for indoctrination , with more than half the population under 15 . well - meaning though they may be , these evangelicals believe god has given them the mandate to rule the world .
it happened across the continent . uganda was a country at its worst point and america represents so much to the world , its wealth , power and image . hollywood has done a good job - - people around the world listen .
although uganda ' s anti - homosexuality bill has stirred up major controversy , many activists and observers believe that it will not be brought before parliament for a vote . senyonjo says the legislation has been a
blessing in disguise .
it ' s commendable that this film tried to shed light on the horrifying influence of conservative christian values on uganda . i think a lot of what this film showcases needed to be seen and speaks a lot about the political affiliation that these religions push on countries that don ' t have the same rights and freedoms as those protected in other countries . the interviews were solid , and following the ihop missionaries was intriguing , but the correlation between these people and uganda needed to be made clearer . there is legislation in uganda against homosexuality , but there was nothing about the violence enacted against these people , the discrimination , and the countless deaths . the funeral scene was a good start and showed human kindness exists in uganda , but it didn ' t show the true impact of these people and their heinous causes . a very beautiful film overall , it still showed the ugandan societal landscape , and what has changed its features in the past thirty years .
the documentary call me kuchu follows uganda’s first openly gay man and a retired anglican bishop as they work to defeat a law that would make homosexuality punishable by death . check out the trailer here , and the dvd can be purchased on amazon .
in fact , williams says , they had a public relations person “chaperone” him during the filming in uganda to make sure no one got off topic . he soon discovered the mission of ihop was part of a larger christian evangelical movement in uganda that promotes biblical law as the ultimate law . their message is everywhere – from street preachers shouting gospel to drivers and pedestrians , to stores with names like “holy face of jesus pharmacy , ” “born again brokers , ” and “party for jesus shoemaker . ”
a . no , we do not . we never have , and stated as such in the interviews for the documentary ( which never made it to the final cut of the film ) . we have very little to do with uganda as an organization ; we do not have missionaries in uganda and do not send a dollar of our budget to uganda . our primary mandate as an organization is prayer and humanitarian action ; it is not political . we are not involved in us politics , let alone politics in another nation . upon further investigation of the bill ( due to the making of this documentary ) , we would state that many of the provisions of the bill make it untenable in its current form , and we would oppose its passing .
four years ago , a bill was introduced in uganda ' s parliament that would criminalize same - sex relations . the anti - homosexuality bill has not yet become law , but it has drawn international attention to the animosity against gays in the african nation .
bishop sonyonjo is the hero of the film , and of uganda , as far as i’m concerned . are you close with him ? he comes with me to a lot of screenings . he gets standing ovations , as you can imagine . he’s a hero . he was living in poverty because he lost his pension after taking his stance . he didn’t have to take that stance . he had run the church of western uganda for 25 years and is married with ten kids . he said , “people don’t understand homosexuality , and i have to educate people . ” people would say , “how could you give up everything for this cause ? ” he said he believed this was what god was telling him to do . the elton john aids foundation came to his rescue and gave him a grant , and he was able to start st . paul’s center for reconciliation , which is the only church where lgbt people can go and pray .
writing on his facebook page , welby reflected on his time in sudan : ' i spent a brief time with the bishops of sudan hearing about their vision for their dioceses , ' he wrote . ' i reflected on how the word emmanuel means god with us . together with partners , we discussed how to help the church in sudan thrive by working with local churches , rather than doing things to or for them .
call me kuchu is a 2012 american documentary film directed by malika zouhali - worrall and katherine fairfax wright . the film explores the struggles of the lgbt community in uganda , [ 2 ] focusing in part on the 2011 murder of lgbt activist david kato . [ 2 ]
senyonjo was excommunicated by the archbishop of uganda in the early 2000s , but has continued his ministry and activism . he says there are times when he ' s been fearful for his life . in 2001 , he stayed in the u . s . for six months .
there ' s a history of not talking about sex . period . sex is not something talked about . the myth that scott lively brought to uganda is that homosexuality is a western import trying to recruit children . they believe it because it ' s coming from an american , and no one talks about it . it’s kept in private . the good thing about the [ anti - gay ] bill in uganda and the [ anti - gay ] bill in nigeria that got passed is that now there’s dialogue , is that now they’re talking about it .
that ' s what ' s happening in uganda , where the parliament has been considering a
kill the gays
bill for several years . director roger ross williams ( director of the oscar - winning short music by prudence ) connects the dots between the virulent anti - gay politics in contemporary uganda and the u . s . churches that are exporting their fringe views to the country in the guise of charity and mission work . ( the ugandan pastor of one of the affiliated churches is now , not coincidentally , one of the nation ' s richest men . )
“david was paranoid when i met him . he had been attacked and beaten many times , as all the activists in uganda have been . they’re edgy and nervous , ” says williams . “but he was particularly paranoid , and rightfully so . his brutal death was devastating , tragic . ”
at the beginning of the film , it is explained that
kuchu
, a word of swahili origin , is a way to refer to homosexuals in uganda ; sylvia tamale documented the usage of the word by homosexual ugandans as a catch - all self - description . [ 3 ]
he believes that powerful evangelical leaders have a larger agenda :
everyone i ' ve talked to in my film has said , ' you know , look : america ' s lost . ' as marriage equality has passed , america is lost to them , but they are winning the war in uganda .
did it mess with you ? totally . oh , totally . it’s so bizarre . i don’t even know how i did it , looking back . i don’t know how i did it . i was on some sort of mission , or i was driven . i don’t know . there was a point where i was outed . someone sent an email . one of the missionaries who lived in uganda wrote a blog about me following her . the email said i was part of the gay agenda and that i should be… [ trails off . ] she sent it to all the anti - gay pastors in uganda .
publisher’s description : preaching prevention examines the controversial u . s . president’s emergency plan for aids relief ( pepfar ) initiative to “abstain and be faithful” as a primary prevention strategy in africa . this ethnography of the born - again christians who led the new anti - aids push in uganda provides insight into both what it means for foreign governments to “export” approaches to care and treatment and the ways communities respond to and repurpose such projects . by examining born - again christians’ support of uganda’s controversial 2009 anti - homosexuality bill , the book’s final chapter explores the enduring tensions surrounding the message of personal accountability heralded by u . s . policy makers .
with nearly half its population under the age of 15 — a fertile source of unclaimed souls — uganda is particularly attractive to missionaries . but saving them comes with a price , as we learn from gospel messages liberally seasoned with antigay rhetoric and fundamentalist support for a bill that would institute the death penalty for repeat homosexual offenders .
american evangelicals have done a lot of great work ,
williams tells all things considered weekend host arun rath .
but it ' s a certain type of fundamentalist evangelical ideology that came in there and basically instilled in a lot of the young people in uganda this message that biblical law is above any other law .
director roger ross william’s film is centered on uganda and the activities of the international house of prayer , a vehemently anti - gay church headquartered in kansas city . * the church preaches that homosexuality is a sin that can be resisted and even cured by prayer . according to the film , the church has helped to foment a new level of hatred and violence against gays in uganda . the film alleges , in fact , that the church , along with similar groups , led ugandan politicians to introduce a law ( the “kill the gays” bill ) that would make it a capital offense to be gay , and inspired the murder of david kato , a gay rights activist .
uganda is the youngest population on the planet , with the median age being 15 . after idi amin , uganda was devastated because of hiv / aids and civil war . the parents were all killed . the evangelicals saw a vacuum and filled that vacuum . the founder of ihop told me that he was there the day idi amin fell in 1979 with a group of evangelical leaders from america . he said he was on the ground , bullets flying over his head , there to take the country as a christian nation . they went in there right at the beginning and said , “this is our chance to take an african country and rebuild it in our own image . ”
the film argues that conservative evangelical christian churches , aware of the declining trend of belief in america , are spreading out into africa , where they hope to foster an anti - gay fervor among the increasingly religious african population . a growing number of african countries , like uganda , have been reporting explosive growths in christianity , according to the film .
i was very nervous , of course . they hadn ' t let any documentary crew in ever and they hadn ' t even let christian media in , very much . they were particular about letting me follow this group to uganda , afraid they’d say the wrong things , they’d embarrass them ! right before the trip , they changed their mind .
as a gay man who grew up in a religious family , williams has had a lifelong desire to explore the power of religion to transform lives – or destroy them . one of the first people williams met on a research trip to uganda was david kato , an activist who would , sadly , become a victim of violence sparked by evangelical anti - gay ideology .
the variety critic concludes :
with little interest in attributing any social benefits or genuinely altruistic impulses to the missionary movement , williams allows local bishop christopher senyonjo to be the reasonable face of christianity in uganda , calling for an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect . it ' s an attitude the film outwardly endorses but doesn ' t entirely embody , as far as evangelicals are concerned .
williams was in the right place at the right time . the evangelical movement fueled uganda’s anti - homosexuality bill and religious fervor was peaking as missionaries preached their message of intolerance throughout the country . ugandan president yoweri museveni signed the bill into law in february . with its passage , williams says newspapers are publishing names and addresses of homosexuals , prompting a human rights crisis – and mob justice .
back in the us , in the past few years , engle has been seen participating in efforts to elect extreme right wing politicians , dreaming up a scheme where 100 , 000 ex - gay preachers will help cure aids and even encouraging his followers to watch the avengers so they will learn how to fight demons , all while continuing to send waves of missionaries to uganda to carry his message of intolerance .
uganda , a largely conservative christian nation , is currently facing intense international pressure to ensure that an anti - gay bill introduced in parliament does not make homosexuality punishable by death , as a previous version of the bill reportedly stipulated . mainstream american evangelical chrisitan pastor rick warren of saddleback church in calif . , has spoken out against the law , calling it
unjust , extreme and un - christian toward homosexuals .
what were you thinking as you sat there ? i was thinking , “this is crazy ! ” how am i now in this position where i can make a difference in people’s lives ? i was thinking , don’t let this moment go . i convinced him to come out with a statement in support of the decriminalization of homosexuality in uganda . i got him to work with me to do a series of video spots supporting lgbt equality , and he would also like to screen the film in uganda . he says people his age are kind of stuck in their ways and won’t see the film , but young people will . he realized africa had to change in the same way america had to change 30 - 40 years ago . they’re in that place , and they have to respect the rights of everyone . he said he’d like to do it through my film .
what i got from them was love and acceptance - - on their terms . people at ihop were constantly laying hands and praying for my salvation ; ihop believes in conversion therapy , with a department tending to “sexual brokenness .
jono hall told me he was an expert on working with the sexually broken . he told me this late one night in uganda . in their bookstore there were a couple shelves of books on ex - gays .
after introducing the memorable music by prudence to mountainfilm in 2009 , director roger ross williams returns with a different look at africa . uganda has received international attention for anti - homosexuality legislation proposed in parliament , which the media calls “kill the gays bill . ” williams carefully reveals that this virulent legislation is systemically supported by american christian missionaries . the hatred leads to a predictable series of human rights violations but also brings about some heroes to stop the madness .
filmmaker ross williams was given extensive access to ihop leaders , including evangelist lou engle , who believes uganda has a special prophetic destiny . the documentary includes footage of engle at a rally with supporters of the infamous anti - homosexuality act , where he tells the crowd he was “called” to encourage the ugandan church for standing up for “righteousness” in the face of international pressure to drop the bill . ihop now says it has never supported the anti - gay law .
is there progress being made in uganda right now ? with dr . bukenya onboard , we can actually make some real change in africa . we need african leaders who are reasonable to stand up against hatred . i think there’s a lot happening on the ground . activists are doing a great job out there . they have great support from the international community , but it has to come from ugandans and faith leaders , because faith is the reason this bill exists .
charisma magazine’s jennifer leclaire writes that ihop and lou engle are being “falsely accused of ‘demonizing’ homosexuals in uganda . ” ihop’s response says that while it believes all sex outside of the marriage of one man and one woman is sinful , “we honor the dignity and rights of all whose opinion differs from ours” and that ihop is “open to civil dialogue and mutual respect . ” the filmmakers , says ihop , “pursued a deceptive means to achieve a hateful , polarizing result . ”
, this book investigates christian politics and discourses on homosexuality in sub - saharan africa . the contributors present case studies from various african countries , from nigeria to south africa and from cameroon to uganda , focusing on pentecostal , catholic and mainline protestant churches . they critically examine popular christian theologies that perpetuate homophobia and discrimination , but they also discuss contestations of such discourses and emerging alternative christian perspectives that contribute to the recognition of sexual diversity , social justice and human rights in contemporary africa .
as the world ' s media goes into full gear over ukraine - russia standoff , we look at the timeline of events . uganda has now passed some of the worst anti - gay laws in the world . israel admits yet does not admit to destroying another weapons convoy heading to lebanon from syria . smaller parties in india unite to form an alternative to the big 2 in the upcoming election . boko haram militants attack a boarding school in eastern nigeria . this week ' s newz source is the poynter institute .
: issues of homosexuality are the subject of public and political controversy in many african societies today . frequently , these controversies receive widespread attention both locally and globally , such as with the anti - homosexuality bill in uganda . in the international media , these cases tend to be presented as revealing a deeply - rooted homophobia in africa fuelled by religious and cultural traditions . but so far little energy is expended in understanding these controversies in all their complexity and the critical role religion plays in them . complementing the companion volume ,


sun valley serenade is a 1941 musical film starring sonja henie , john payne , glenn miller , milton berle , and lynn bari .

it features the glenn miller orchestra as well as dancing by the nicholas brothers and dorothy dandridge , performing " chattanooga choo choo " , which was nominated for an academy award for best song , was inducted into the grammy hall of fame in 1996 , and was awarded the first gold record for sales of 1.2 million .

sun valley serenade

the classic film “sun valley serenade” was released 75 years ago , helping to establish sun valley as a premier mountain resort destination .
1941 ' s
sun valley serenade
at byu film archive series jan . 24
producing “sun valley serenade” as a 10 - minute film required significant modifications to the original screenplay .
figure skating movie glenn miller h . bruce humberstone john payne lynn bari milton berle sonja henie sun valley idaho sun valley serenade travis banton twentieth century - fox
sun valley serenade ( 1941 ) directed by h . bruce humberstone • reviews , film + cast • letterboxd
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing sun valley serenade near you .
sun valley , idaho  the 1941 sonja henie movie
sun valley serenade
might just be the world ' s most frequently shown film . it has been an entertainment staple at the sun valley lodge and inn for at least 25 years .
anderson , who joined the sun valley resort as beverage manager 25 years ago , says
sun valley serenade
and one of the movie ' s songs ,
it happened in sun valley ,
have had a huge influence in the resort achieving worldwide recognition .
with the headline : sonia henie in ' sun valley serenade , ' a sparkling and melodious outdoor picture , at the roxy .
1941 ' s
sun valley serenade
at byu film archive series jan . 24 - byu college of fine arts and communications
notes : you can watch sun valley serenade free on youtube . you can read vanity fair ‘s fascinating profile of sonja henie here .
a short film made by community school video production students , “sun valley serenade : a 10 - minute remake , ” has been selected for showing on march 7 at the sun valley film festival’s future filmmakers forum .
even glenn miller has to audition for the gig in sun valley . image :
“sun valley serenade” was the brainchild of then 20th century fox studio chief darryl f . zanuck . zanuck was on a winter vacation in sun valley with one of his contract directors , bruce humberstone , and their wives , and he thought sun valley would be a good setting for a sonja henie film .
sun valley serenade is a historic nod to our valley , how it came to be and what it was . our purposes in remaking the film were to recognize our history and observe ways in which our valley has changed . ”
video production students at the community school work on a remake of “sun valley serenade , ” a 1941 black - and - white classic movie . the remake will be shown on march 7 at the sun valley film festival’s future filmmakers forum .
jo stafford - ' it happened in sun valley ' . wmv ( 1955 / 56 )
sibbach said the movie’s filming in sun valley went along well with resort founder averell harriman’s plans .
sun valley serenade ,
the great gatsby
and
circus world
are among the flicks you won ' t be able to find on dvd .
sun valley serenade will make you long for winter adventures in crisp mountain air . it will also show you why sonja henie became a big deal in 1930s pop culture .
sun valley serenade ; 1941 , twentieth century fox . sonja henie , john payne , glenn miller , milton berle , nicholas brothers , dorothy dandridge , nicholas brothers . )
“we wanted to mirror the original aesthetic of the movie , while at the same time calling attention to modern day sun valley , ” burke said . “sun valley serenade is a historic nod to our valley , how it came to be and what it was . our purposes in remaking the film were to recognize our history and observe ways in which our valley has changed . ”
wendolyn spence holland wrote in her book ,
sun valley : an extraordinary history ,
that the shah of iran booked a sun valley ski vacation for his family and royal entourage after seeing the film .
it wasn’t always that way , though . sun valley owes a debt of gratitude to the movie “sun valley serenade” for cementing its reputation as more than a place to find great powder . the film marks its 75th anniversary this year , having been released on aug . 21 , 1941 .
2016 is the 75th anniversary of the 1941 20th century - fox motion picture
sun valley serenade ,
the first of two fox productions to feature glenn miller and his orchestra .
many famous actors have stayed at this resort and many also live in sun valley . the resort was the center of the film
sun valley serenade
. the resort plays this film every weekend at the opera house , and on a dedicated tv channel in the hotel 24 hours a day .
sun valley serenade stars john payne as a big band musician who is booked , along with his band , for a gig at a fancy - schmancy ski resort in sun valley , idaho . but get this : the band is actually the glenn miller orchestra , a wildly popular group during world war ii .
sun valley serenade is the first of the only two movies featuring the glenn miller orchestra ( the other is 1942 ' s orchestra wives ) . besides
it happened in sun valley
, other glenn miller tunes in the film are
moonlight serenade
,
chattanooga choo choo
,
i know why ( and so do you )
, and
in the mood
.
the musical comedy film “sun valley serenade” will have a one - time screening at brigham young university’s harold b . lee library auditorium on friday , jan . 24 , at 7 p . m .
“sun valley serenade” helped clinch sun valley’s reputation , and many more movies ended up being at least partially filmed there , including 1953’s “how to marry a millionaire , ” with marilyn monroe and lauren bacall ; 1956’s “the tall men , ” with clark gable and jane russell ; and clint eastwood’s 1985 “pale rider . ”
the band travels to sun valley for a christmas holiday performance , and scott’s sponsorship leads to romance on the ski slopes .
the sun valley film festival runs from march 4 - 8 . additional information is available from the festival website at urltoken .
sun valley has been known for decades as a premier skiing destination , a romantic getaway and a cultural hotspot in idaho .
there is lots of breathtaking ketchum and sun valley , idaho scenery , but only the second unit and stand - ins made the trip . for all the lovingly photographed , gratuitous skiing scenes , and for all the plot machinations of little refugee karen skiing her way into the hero ' s heart , it appears no star went on location . sun valley did , however have a long - standing reputation as a playground for the movie colony . and if you visit today , one of my correspondents informs me , the sun valley lodge tv station plays sun valley serenade around the clock .
ehcapa bareback riders [ pg . 2 ] western movies [ pg . 3 ] working dogs [ pg . 4 ] rosalie sorrels [ pg . 5 ] sun valley writers’ conference [ pg . 6 ] sun valley ice show [ pg . 7 ]
the movie features a scene , well - known to many sun valley locals , of henie ice skating on a frozen pond .
the pair of old smoothies took command of the stage in a showstopping duet juxtaposed with footage from their performance in the 1935 movie
sun valley serenade .
it soon had the audience on its feet as well .
sun valley serenade ( 1941 ) directed by h . bruce humberstone . sonja henie , john payne , glenn miller , milton berle , lynn bari , joan davis , the nicholas brothers , dorothy dandridge ( 86 min . )
“sun valley serenade” is a musical starring norwegian figure skater sonja henie , john payne , glenn miller , milton berle and lynn bari , featuring the glenn miller orchestra as well as dancing by the nicholas brothers and dorothy dandridge .
“sun valley serenade” was notable partly because it was the first of the only two movies featuring the glenn miller orchestra , the other being 1942’s “orchestra wives . ” the movie was partially responsible for the meteoric rise in popularity of the song “chattanooga choo choo , ” and it featured other glenn miller tunes including “moonlight serenade , ” “it happened in sun valley , ” “i know why ( and so do you ) ” and “in the mood . ”
reed , a longtime wood river valley resident , brings a not atypical background to the sun valley area . in addition to being a competitive skier , reed is an ice skater , a competition tennis player , a ski instructor , a ranch owner and a california native . she even did a stint in hollywood , appearing with sonja henie in an ice skating movie a few years prior to henie’s 1939 classic sun valley serenade .
sun valley serenade was actually paid for by the union pacific railroad company and was made to promote the newly developed ski area . union pacific created several resorts around the west as a way to promote more tourism and use of their trains .
sun valley serenade : starring sonja henie , john payne , glenn miller . directed by h . bruce humberstone . written by robert ellis , helen logan . twentieth century - fox film corp . , 1941 , b & w , 87 mins .
the magic lantern cinema is sun valley ' s first digital , state - of - the - art movie theater ! locally owned and operated–for over 38 years the magic lantern has been the valley’s most popular and . . .
moviegoers might not always know it , though , because sun valley has played stand - in for the mountains of europe , alaska , the arctic and a swiss village ( as the mountains around sun valley did in 1937’s “ i met him in paris ” starring claudette colbert , robert young and melvyn douglas ) .
“sun valley serenade” stars three - time olympic skating champion sonja henie and john payne who find love at the famed southern idaho resort . the 1941 film also features popular glenn miller and his orchestra who play the academy award - nominated hit song “chattanooga choo choo” and other popular tunes by the noted songwriting team of mack gordon and harry warren , including “it happened in sun valley” and “i know why and so do you . ”
the world premiere of 20th century - fox’s “sun valley serenade” occurred in salt lake city in the summer of 1941 and brought stars john payne , joan davis and george montgomery to utah’s capital city for a sold - out , reserved - seat engagement at the centre theater .
it’s stylish , cynical and loaded with dark innuendos and steamy encounters . yes , it’s the sun valley film noir series . second annual festival returning thursdays this september .
enjoy olympic medalists and world - class figure skaters under the stars on sun valley’s historic ice sheet this summer . dining al fresco at the sun valley lodge terrace buffet and an all new show with enhanced lights and sound add to the excitement and are sure to delight viewers of all ages—and don’t miss the spectacular fireworks show on july 4th .
ironically , not much of the film was actually produced in sun valley , although the stars visited the area . actors performed on hollywood sound stages where skating rinks and interior sets resembling snow - covered sun valley were created , said chris millspaugh , chief archivist at the ketchum community library ' s idaho history section . several sun valley skiers , however , doubled for the stars . skier gretchen fraser , an olympic gold medalist for whom the lodge ' s gretchen ' s restaurant is named , posed as henie in a ski scene .
“it put us on the map not only as a place to ski but also as a romantic spot , ” said jack sibbach , sun valley resort’s director of marketing and pr .
ever since sonja henie skated and twirled across the screen , and into our hearts , for the filming of 20th century fox’s classic movie sun valley serenade ( 1941 ) , the ice shows have been an enduring and star - studded staple in the growing entertainment scene at sun valley resort . henie , a world skating champion ( at the age of 14 ) and three - time consecutive olympic figure skating gold medalist , set the bar high on the caliber of skating featured at the outdoor rink . and the all - star lineup at the sun valley on ice shows , presented every saturday night from july 4 through labor day , have continued to raise the bar year after year .
at least 200 days a year , promptly at 5 p . m . , the film is shown at the theater - size opera house on the grounds of the sun valley resort .
i wanted to see sun valley serenade again because of yesterday ' s viewing of the glenn miller story . the plot is actually quite silly , with sonja henie getting on my nerves this time and also more aware of how completely bland john payne is . but at the same time glenn miller is in this film and his…
it was a tradition in sun valley to show the film in the small town every friday afternoon in a small movie theatre next to the skating rink . i saw it twice , once in 1956 when the town was exactly the same as the day it was completed in the mid 1930 ' s , and then again in 1978 . my last visit to sun valley was 1982 .
the movie featured one of the glenn miller orchestra’s best known jazz tunes , “chattanooga choo choo , ” which was nominated for an academy award . other famous miller songs in the movie are “moonlight serenade , ” “it happened in sun valley , ” “i know why ( and so do you ) ” and “in the mood . ”
sun valley serenade is a film starring sonja henie who , in the 1930s - 40s , was the most famous figure skater in the world . ( she was famous because she won 10 world figure skating championships in a row . plus , she won three gold medals at three different olympic games . also in a row . )
it’s not surprising svff has high aspirations to be a landmark film festival on the yearly calendar , the winter playground is steeped in hollywood and literary heritage . ernest hemingway completed “for whom the bell tolls” while staying at the sun valley lodge in 1939 . it was the winter playground for many stars of the golden age of hollywood including marilyn monroe , errol flynn , clark gable , lucille ball . it even took a starring role in the lightweight 1941 comedy , “sun valley serenade , ” which featured ice skating star , sonja henie .
our founders were a group of forward - thinking women . in 1955 , seventeen visionary ketchum and sun valley women founded the community library association ( cla ) as a privately funded , privately . . .
miller ' s recordings for orchestra wives and sun valley serenade do sound better than many of his original recordings due to better frequency range on 35mm soundtrack , though a lot of the broadcast transcription disc of miller ' s radio performances also sound better than his 78 ' s for the same reason , better frequency range on the larger 16 inch discs .
sun valley serenade is a classic hollywood film , not because of a scintillating story line , but because of sonia heine skating ( and skiing ) , the glen miller band and the nicholas brothers energetic dance routine . the big band sound may be a thing of the past but i thank those who preserve these things for posterity . love this film .
today we’re bringing you a movie with figure skating . no , wait ! don’t go . hear us out first . sun valley serenade is a film starring sonja henie who , in the 1930s - 40s , was the most famous figure skater in the world . ( she was famous because she won 10 world figure skating championships in a row . plus , she won three gold…
in 2008 , the family of woman film festival was founded by peggy elliott goldwyn in sun valley , idaho to bring awareness of the work of the united nations population fund ( unfpa ) , the leading global . . .
it was originally a magical place and felt a million miles from civilization at the time . there was a small re - creation of a european town with shops , restaurants and a large ski dorm surrounding the skating rink featured in the film . some distance away was sun valley lodge set at the base of mt baldy , where the skiing was filmed for the movie . for a while sun valley lodge was a world class restaurant and hotel .
i’ve never been particularly excited to see a sonja henie film , but after falling in love with the work of mgm’s henie ( esther williams ) , i figured it’s time i gave the lady a chance . tcm will be showing sun valley serenade in a few days and i’ve got it all set to record . i think i made the right decision after reading your fun post .
i saw this for the first time a couple of months ago . what a fun film ! i loved the scene near the beginning of the film where glenn miller ( ! ) has to audition for the sun valley gig .
sun valley may be most famous for its writers—poet ezra pound’s childhood home is on 3rd avenue in hailey , and ernest hemingway penned for whom the bell tolls in suite 206 at the sun valley lodge , also writing portions of islands in the stream , the garden of eden and a moveable feast from his ketchum home . the glamour of the hollywood elite and socialite a - list that flocked to sun valley when it first opened ( stars such as gary cooper , janet leigh , clark gable , lucille ball , and later clint eastwood , jamie lee curtis , arnold schwarzenegger , demi moore , bruce willis and tom hanks ) also made a splash , but idaho has hosted a number of top films over the years as well .
if you like glenn miller’s orchestra , then you have to see this film . there’s a very funny scene near the beginning of the film where the orchestra has to audition ( audition ! ) for the gig in sun valley . lots of great music .
when mom was alive , mention ms henie or ms williams and a great smile wold light up her face . mom was a bit of a tom boy in her youth , playing whatever sports young girls were allowed . she was a young woman when these 2 athletes made their films and they were her heroes . you’re right , ruth . “sun valley serenade” is a wonderful film and a fitting one for the holidays . another one for netflix .
yet , there’s so much more to this charming film . the witty lines , for one , plus the travis banton wardrobe and the enticing exterior shots of picturesque sun valley . there’s also exhilarating ski footage , i . e . real skiing on a real mountain .
i recently rewatched sun valley serenade ( vhs ) and orchestra wives ( dvd ) . both films were very polished and showed the miller band to good effect , moreso than any other big band movie i can think of . great harry warren songs , and i guess sonja henie was at her most appealing in sun valley serenade . i ' m not familiar with the history of multitrack recording , as was used in these films ( as was the slightly earlier , fantasia ) . is there any written history as to when hollywood started experimenting with multitrack or stereo type recordings ? it seems the miller recordings in these films sound better than any contemporary phonograph records he made . i wonder too , if svs is not on dvd yet due to cost / difficulty in remastering the original soundtrack ? i know jackie gleason was a big band fan , and made records in the 1950 ' s fronting a band for capitol . was orch wives his first film ?
phillyrich wrote : i recently rewatched sun valley serenade ( vhs ) and orchestra wives ( dvd ) . both films were very polished and showed the miller band to good effect , moreso than any other big band movie i can think of . great harry warren songs , and i guess sonja henie was at her most appealing in sun valley serenade . i ' m not familiar with the history of multitrack recording , as was used in these films ( as was the slightly earlier , fantasia ) . is there any written history as to when hollywood started experimenting with multitrack or stereo type recordings ? it seems the miller recordings in these films sound better than any contemporary phonograph records he made . i wonder too , if svs is not on dvd yet due to cost / difficulty in remastering the original soundtrack ? i know jackie gleason was a big band fan , and made records in the 1950 ' s fronting a band for capitol . was orch wives his first film ?
“in regards to the music , there are pieces from the original , including “it happened in sun valley , ” “in the mood” and “i know why ( and so do you ) , ” burke said . “given our time constraints , there are not any fully realized musical numbers—merely hints .
plot : a down on their luck band lands a christmas eve gig in sun valley , idaho , after they hook up with temper mental singer vivian dawn ( bari ) . to help with publicity for the band , their publicist nifty allen ( berle ) set up for pianist ted scott ( payne ) to adopt a european war orphan . while ted and bandleader phil corey ( miller ) have prepared for a baby orphan , their adoptee is fully grown norwegian karen ( henie ) . when the band leaves for sun valley , karen sneaks along , threatening a budding romance between ted and vivian .
this is not the first time producer elise pearlstein ( oscar - nominee for “ food , inc . ” ) and director jessica yu have teamed up to cause a political stir through documentary filmmaking . working together for 10 years on projects like “protagonist” and “the living museum , ” they joined together to focus on “the most pressing issue of our time and our future”—the water crisis . during the 2012 summer sun valley writers’ conference , where “ last call at the oasis ” was screened , pearlstein shared her thoughts with sun valley magazine about the film , and what the water crisis means for future generations .
want to experience the action firsthand ? then grab the family and head to sun valley’s historic ice rink to take a few turns . open ice is available daily from and you can book a group or private lesson or just watch from rinkside—who knows , you may even see an olympic gold medalist practicing a championship routine .
“this film is a testament to learning by trial and error , which is who we are at community school , ” said peter burke , community school upper school media specialist . ” “but the outcome was magnificent . making this film gave students an idea of the deep history and hard work behind the building of sun valley .
back to god’s country ( 1953 ) starring rock hudson and marcia henderson . the mountains around sun valley stand in for a small village in the frozen wilderness of alaska ( it is interesting to note that a 1919 black and white version of this film starring nell shipman also featured scenes shot at priest lake in northern idaho ) .
fayard and harold nicholas , whose careers spanned over six decades , made up one of the most beloved dance teams in the history of dance , the nicholas brothers . they were best known for their unforgettable appearances in more than 30 hollywood musicals in the 1930s and 1940s including down argentine way ( 1940 ) , sun valley serenade ( 1941 ) and stormy weather ( 1943 ) . their artistry , choreographic brilliance , and unique style - - a smooth mix of tap , jazz , ballet and acrobatic moves - - entertained and astonished vaudeville , theatre , film and television audiences all over the world .
for those of us who may never get to sun valley , idaho , and may never have the pleasure of racing madly down its white ski slopes or partaking of the many other luxuries of one of the world ' s most magnificent winter resorts , twentieth century - fox has well provided a poor man ' s substitute . view full article in timesmachine »
the world - famous sun valley lodge and ski resort was built in 1936 by averell harriman , owner of the union pacific railroad . according to accounts , the opera house was built on the grounds of the lodge around 1937 and never was an opera or vaudeville house , just a movie theater . today it is a first - run movie house and is used for seminars and other purposes .
there isn ' t an awful lot of plot , there are the usual hokey misunderstandings and the presence of one of those secluded log cabins out in the middle of nowhere . lynn bari plays payne ' s singing sweetheart , while milton berle plays the band ' s agent . numbers include ' in the mood ' , ' it happened in sun valley ' and ' chattanooga choo choo ' .
the annual writers’ conference is the premier literary event in the valley . if you love to read or write it’s a “must see . ” the svm staff interviewed a few stars of last year’s conference .
( moviediva adds : sun valley serenade is one of those films made to showcase current hot performers with a bare wisp of a plot . the glenn miller orchestra performs several musical numbers so their legions of fans could see the band and assign faces to the sound they loved on records . the band becomes a major plot point when a petulant girl singer throws a fit at being drowned out by an audition band . . . fortunately the creamy smoothness of that miller tone will land them the job , instead . john payne is supposedly the piano player , swaying his big shouldered suit unconvincingly at the keyboard . and , he should have taken the hint early on about vivian dawn ' s irritable behavior .
the surprise comes right before the band is to travel to sun valley for a christmas gig . while on the ski slopes , ted soon falls for karen’s schemes to win the heart of her new sponsor , much to the annoyance of his girlfriend , vivian dawn ( bari ) , a soloist with the band . vivian promptly quits the band out of jealousy , and karen stages an elaborate ice show as a substitute .
the future filmmakers forum showcases student - made films from the wood river valley , elsewhere in idaho and other parts of the united states . the program is intended to encourage students to consider filmmaking as a career .
glenn miller had a very short career in films . this was his first and orchestra wives was his last before he went off on his ill - fated flight across the english channel . it ' s set in the famous idaho ski resort . the picture was said to be the brainchild of studio boss darryl f . zanuck , who had vacationed at sun valley and thought it might make a lovely setting . . . read more
other great songs here include
in the mood ,
moonlight serenade
and
i know why .
miller also recorded another new gordon - warren song that would eventually become an enormous hit ,
at last ,
but zanuck decided to save it for his next glenn miller movie ,
special performances make these films special . sun valley serenade features two figure skating sequences performed by three - time olympic gold - medal winner ( 1928 , 1932 , and 1936 ) henie . the first is pretty standard fare : as henie puts on her moves in an effort to impress ted , the crowd of “regular” skaters parts to give her center stage . the second performance is intentionally choreographed as part of the plot , with dozens of skating extras , and it occurs at night , on “black ice” ( regular ice coated with a layer of black dye ) . the nighttime black ice effect is gorgeous , giving henie the look as if she is skating on a mirror . kudos to cinematographer edward cronjager for a flawless set - up and execution .
with a history of all - time classic movies having been shot here (
how to marry a millionaire
starring marilyn monroe , betty grable , and lauren bacall , for one ) , an idaho film - making revival underway , and a host of stars - in - occasional - residence ( clint eastwood , scott glenn , arnold schwarzenegger and bruce willis all reside in sun valley part time ) , cinema lovers are actually in their element here .
as a master of ceremonies in vaudeville in the 1930 ' s ( heralded as the youngest m . c . ever to work b . f . keith ' s palace in new york ) , mr . berle developed his habit of getting into everyone ' s act . he become a headliner in broadway shows , including a 97 - week run in the ziegfeld follies . he made movies (
tall , dark and handsome ,
sun valley serenade
) . and he did a lot of radio , everything from the fred allen show to
can you top this ?
but as he acknowledges during an interview in this documentary , his humor was too visual for a big success in radio . and then along came television and
texaco star theater .
, meanwhile , wound up as probably her best picture . the story is essentially a romantic triangle between a big band pianist ( john payne ) , the band ' s singer ( lynn bari ) , and a norwegian war refugee ( henie ) , who all converge at sun valley when the band lands a job there . milton berle is on hand as the band ' s manager , and portraying the band is the glenn miller orchestra , complete with glenn miller himself as the bandleader .
( 1941 ) had its genesis in a spontaneous brainstorm by darryl f . zanuck . the twentieth century - fox studio chief was on a winter vacation in sun valley , idaho , with one of his contract directors , bruce humberstone , and their wives . wouldn ' t this be a good setting , mused zanuck , for a sonja henie film ? and wouldn ' t humberstone like to move up from the
b
movie world and direct it ? the answer to both questions was a clear
yes .
pale rider ( 1985 ) . sun valley’s most famous and iconic western . directed by clint eastwood and starring eastwood as the mysterious no - name drifter who rides into a small mining town to help local citizens michael moriarty and carrie snodgrass face up to the ruthless proprietor of a strip - mining company threatening their land and livelihood . shot on location in the boulder mountains , less than 20 minutes from director and star actor clint eastwood’s home ( with a few scenes staged up over galena summit in the stanley basin ) .
henie , the famous norwegian figure skater who had won gold medals at the 1928 , 1932 and 1936 winter olympics , had become a big star for fox since signing with the studio . she was very popular , and her seven films so far had made lots of money . but as eager as zanuck was to build a movie around her in the winter resort town of sun valley , he was equally fed up with her difficult , temperamental nature , and was strongly considering not renewing her contract , which would end following this film .
despite being a native new englander , s . c . “sam” gwynne has really made a name for himself as a texan . the award - winning journalist spoke about his pulitzer prize - nominated , historical book , empire of the summer moon : quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches , the most powerful indian tribe in american history to a packed sun valley pavilion last summer . gwynne jokingly entitled his talk about the brutal opening of the american west : “connecticut yankee too dumb to know any better stumbles upon old western frontier . ”
disney recorded fantasia in multi - track sound for actual theatrical exhibition , but the multi - track recordings of many 40 ' s movies were not originally intended to be used for anything but soundtrack editing of the final mono - soundtrack . several tracks were recorded from different miked areas to give different audio perspective for a given shot ' s point of view . this has allowed surviving multi - tracks to be remixed into stereo versions for more recent restorations or soundtrack reissues on cd . ( the stereo remixes on the soundtrack cd of meet me in st . louis that came out awhile back is a great example of this . ) . miller ' s recordings for orchestra wives and sun valley serenade do sound better than many of his original recordings due to better frequency range on 35mm soundtrack , though a lot of the broadcast transcription disc of miller ' s radio performances also sound better than his 78 ' s for the same reason , better frequency range on the larger 16 inch discs .
however , make no mistake . not only was glenn miller in the right place at the right time , he had the chops to pull it off . watching these films and hearing miller’s signature moonlight serenade , his hits like i know why , people like you and me , at last , and serenade in blue , plus his legendary numbers like in the mood , chattanooga choo choo , and i’ve got a gal in kalamazoo ( the latter two of which are sung by tex beneke , a miller saxophonist with an unmistakably unique voice ) , is especially pleasing because not only are they all great songs , the arrangements are different than those you would hear on a typical “greatest hits” compilation . this adds a nice freshness to them that , once you hear them , will certainly put you … in the mood .
“i absolutely love sun valley . i was lucky enough to make a movie here ( ' pale rider ' ) , and if i had my way i would hang out here all the time , ” he said . “but i guess i’ll have to make another movie at some point since my last movie ( ' american sniper ' ) did fairly well . so much of this business is hard work and a lot of good luck . tonight i consider myself lucky to get to know you all . i can only wish you the best of luck to keep this great film festival going for many years to come . ”
john payne , sonja henie and milton berle star in this lighthearted romantic comedy that features the glenn miller orchestra as a struggling band named the dartmouth troubadours . the group is about to get it ' s big break at a posh sun valley ski resort , when the romance between singer vivian dawn ( lynn bari ) and piano player ted scott ( payne ) is shaken by a publicity stunt set up by band manager
nifty
allen ( berle ) .
nifty
has arranged for ted to adopt a war refugee , and ted becomes responsible fore a beautiful norwegian ( henie ) who decides she wants to marry him !
was difficult . transportation of equipment to the town was long , complicated , and costly , and much of the equipment itself proved heavy and challenging to use in the snow and ice . worst of all , terrible weather led to constant disruptions . in fact , none of sonja henie ' s skiing or skating ended up being shot on location - - it was all filmed in the controlled environs of the fox studio lot . but even though the film had a high , $ 1 . 3 million final cost , zanuck didn ' t get too upset about the delays since he was using the location shoot as an excuse to frolic at sun valley with a french girlfriend .
the whole ' finders keepers ' team is very grateful for the two awards we received at the sun valley film festival . it was the first time that a film has won two awards at the festival , so you can imagine our shock and the honor of being called back up to the stage '
said clay tweel .
the trip to idaho was my first time in the state and it was an amazing venue for a festival . i really appreciated how engaged and vocal the audiences were , especially at q & a ' s and some of the talks i attended . between the skiing and the great food at places like cristina ' s , i hope to come back in the future !
a great film from long ago . i have long been a glenn miller fan and was pleased to find out the my 8 and 10 year old kids love this film and the music also . sun valley was around 3 years old at the time of filming and watching the film really makes you yearn to be a part of the way things used to be . even immigration is covered as the band goes to ellis island to pick up the
little
refugee . chattanooga choo choo was featured in the film and many not know that it was the very first gold record , the first million seller . a classic film i would recommend to all , young and old . kick back and listen to the way music used to be in the golden age .
sheep , dogs and shepherds have been part of the northern rocky landscape for over 150 years . it is said that in 1918 idaho’s sheep population was 2 . 65 million , nearly six times the state’s human population . second only to sydney , australia , the wood river valley shipped thousands of lambs by railroad to markets around the west and was a major sheep center during that time .
though that industry has shrunk in recent years , sheepdogs are still an integral part of sheep ranching in the wood river valley . there are now two types of modern sheepdogs : guardian dogs which , in the wood river valley , are often great pyrenees ; and the border collie which , according to fourth - generation idaho sheep rancher john peavey , he couldn’t run his operation without . the guardian’s job is to protect the sheep from predators . as pups , they are put in a pen with the sheep where they become family . the dogs will typically bond to a particular ewe and even ride on the trucks with them . “the key to raising effective guard dogs is very little human attention , ” says peavey . “their job is to bond with the sheep , not the shepherd . ”
it ' s about a band that ' s stone broke and their publicity manager thinks that for the good of the press they should adopt a little refugee from another country and have pictures taken of them to show how kind the band is . well , when the time comes for them to meet the refugee , it turns out to be sonja henie ! they finally get a job in sun valley which at this time is covered by snow and ice . they plan to leave sonja at the publicity manager ' s aunt ' s house , but she wants to tag along . by the way , she was a refugee from norway , and she knows all about skiing and ice skating and everyone has a great time . surprising to me was that it is more a skiing movie than an ice skating movie , since sonja was an ice skater .
since he started as film critic for the chicago sun - times in 1967 , and began covering movies locally and at international film festivals , roger ebert has met and interviewed countless movie idols , artists and unknowns - - some of them even before they became famous . there ' s hardly a major figure in the history of movies , from the last part of the 20th century into the 21st , that he hasn ' t encountered .
while the sun valley film festival in idaho is only in its fourth year , it ' s already proving to be a rising star in the festival landscape , attracting enthusiastic filmmakers and big hollywood heavyweights . this year , clint eastwood was honored with their inaugural lifetime vision award at an intimate dinner 6 , 000 feet up mt . baldy at the spectacular and historic roundhouse restaurant . eastwood is fond of the picturesque holiday spot that is renowned for being the first destination winter resort in the us . he filmed his 1985 western “ pale rider ” in the area , and spends a lot of time there . with his current box office smash “ american sniper ” now the biggest box office film of 2014 , taking over $ 341 million in domestic totals , the laconic 84 - year - old actor / director promised he would keep working as he accepted his award .
in the 1970s , sorrels played at the leadville espresso in ketchum ( now the picket fence ) , owned by her friend , the late millie wiggins . coincidentally , her grandfather , reverend stringfellow , used to preach in the same building when it was ketchum’s only church . over the years , she’s returned often to the wood river valley . in 1978 , she and her old performing partner , bruce “utah” phillips , played at the second annual northern rockies folk festival . she also loves the national old - time fiddlers contest & festival in weiser , but has all but retired now . her live work is now the stuff of legend , the seeds of the stories she uncovered living on through music .
regular first run films grace the screen on all other nights . this well equipped theatre is outfitted with a pair of simplex x - l’s , a norelco 16mm projector , and sony sdds digital sound , and klipsch horn loaded speakers .
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when phil corey ' s band arrives at the idaho ski resort its pianist ted scott is smitten with a norwegian refugee he has sponsored , karen benson . when soloist vivian dawn quits , karen stages an ice show as a substitute .
buzzing comedies such as the spy who dumped me await you in our summer movie guide . check in for all the info you need .
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connie ward is in seventh heaven when gene morrison ' s band rolls into town . she is swept off her feet by trumpeter bill abbot . after marrying him , she joins the bands tour and learns about . . . see full summary »
studio publicist ( power ) discovers minnesota skating teacher ( henie ) and takes her to hollywood . she goes back to minnesota but he follows her .
an entertainer in rio impersonates a wealthy aristocrat . when the aristocrat ' s wife asks him to carry the impersonation further , complications ensue .
nora and her uncle get railroaded into spending the night at a broken - down hotel in canada . after nora falls for the handsome owner , she convinces her uncle to invest in the inn and . . . see full summary »
marine , james murfin , is unaware of icelandic customs . when he flirts with katina her icelandic family take his actions as a proposal of marriage to katina . desperately wanting out , james . . . see full summary »
in turn - of - the - century san francisco , an ambitious vaudevillian takes his quartet from a honky tonk to the big time , while spurning the love of his troupe ' s star singer for a selfish heiress .
a swiss hotel ' s ski instructor falls in love with a man who goes skiing every morning .
biography of bandleader glenn miller from his beginnings to his death over the english channel in december 1944 .
american theatrical manager ( menjou ) discovers henie preparing for the olympics in switzerland and brings her to madison square garden .
this musical tells the tales of two movie extras who abscond to an expensive resort with their costumes and pretend to be aristocrats . included in the film are ice skating numbers and songs .
the son ( romero ) of a department store owner enrolls the store ' s sports clerk ( henie ) at a university to use her as an advertisement for their fashion department . she falls for a teacher ( . . . see full summary »
bandleader ( romero and manager ( ameche ) discover skater ( henie ) in norway . they become rivals as she returns with them to america .
a publicity stunt for the dartmouth troubadours band gets complicated when the norwegian refugee their pianist ted scott has announced he will be taking in turns out to be fully grown karen benson . when his girlfriend realises that karen and ted are spending an awful lot of time together on the ski slopes at the band ' s venue , things start to turn very frosty .
20th century fox studios - 10201 pico blvd . , century city , los angeles , california , usa
this movie was shown on movie night at mash 4077 during season seven , episode nine , in which col potter said this movie was among his favorites .
( at around 19 mins ) ted scott opens a door and the wall of a completely different room is shown outside to the room featured in the next shot .
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enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with prime video .
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the modernaires , m . berle , s . henie , l . bari , ( p . friday ) g . miller orch .
t . beneke , p . kelly , the modernaires , d . dandridge , the nicolas brothers
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a norwegian war orphan adopted by a pianist as a publicity stunt turns out to be a beautiful young woman .
love the music of glen . miller . the skating and a all around family movie . a real treat !
best music and comic and romance done with grace , a dvd for a canada and usa should be available , the sooner the better . please make it happen .