This film is a clear example of faith, healing, and mourning in practice. Interpreted through the cinematic language and style of the film, which is non-sync and non linear, Mychal was a man who could see through many contradictions. As a gay man and religious supporter, he was predominate religious figure in the 80's, for loving and accepting AIDS victims in a time when most are plagued with shame and had been forsaken. He supported gays when the church had abandoned them. He was a man who was not afraid to go against logic. Contrary to conventional story telling, Glenn Holsten also defies logic in her editing and arrangement of the film. Assuming there was nothing wrong with the print I saw, her arrangement of edits is dysfunctional. The audio track seems intact, where as the video jumps around, and suggests a certain level of subjectivity and displacement. Where most people might change the channel or turn the movie off, the importance and beauty of what is being said outweighs your vision and keeps your attention. There are many films that are considered documentaries of death, such as tributes to famous rockers, or historical films on concentration camps, or even studies on religious after life practices. "Recording death or documenting the act of dying can be a sensitive one. A filmmaker walks a thin line between a cathartic experience and exploitation." Renov explains. If films like Saint of 9/11 bring resolution or comfort to people who share a similar loss, or affection, the act of mourning will bring about positive change. " The camera incites, records, and preserves these sustained efforts to speak the most unspeakable of losses." It is with memories of loss, love, and sorrow that a person can feel very vulnerable. There is a fine line filmmakers walk when giving a face to a biography of death. Capturing body language in the vulnerable state of silence, the camera now becomes an objective viewer, like the liberated soul of Hinduism. Speaking about a personal interview with a former SS member, "Something like the holocaust changes a person in a way that it's impossible to retreat back into the free and uninhibited ego." Renov addresses predominantly films that respond to private or familial sorrows, but told in a way that implicates others. In his best summery of his thoughts on death and the documentary, Renov states, "In regards to the world of mourning, cinema and video possesses a remarkable potential for creating new therapeutic communities, joined by bereavement, loss, and the need for healing." There are new potentials with moving image and sync sound, before unknown with literature. The medium can better serve a direct path into the lives of others. We do not imagine, but watch and listen to the resolution of death manifest in another, which is the only way after all one can experience death in life.

This quote comes from a Fransiscan Brother for whom Father Mychal Judge was a mentor.The people interviewed for this documentary are not the erudite, intelligent and moral but for the most part the dregs of society, the lost souls and the outcasts. Sure NYFD guys and fellow priests are there but the stories told about him in this film are mostly by drunks, addicts, the homeless, sick and the poor.This film is a reminder of what being a Christian is actually about without the preaching and proselytizing. While 9/11 is featured at the beginning of this film and again toward the end (Father Mychal held a Mass for many NY Firefighter on September 10 from which most of the film of him as a priest is taken), the documentary is really about a man and his works.

I saw this film last week at the Montreal film festival. I had to drag my husband because he was afraid it would be sappy. We were both extremely moved by the story and loved the film. The director did an excellent job in telling the story of Mychael Judge's life. He had a lot of great footage and interviews with many of the people who knew Judge well. I always walk out of a film and think what I would have done differently, but there is not one thing I would have changed. I predict this will get a nomination for an Oscar for Best Documentary this year. For people who avoided seeing United 93 because you were afraid or not ready to revisit what happened on 9/11, do not miss this film for that reason. There is some discussion and footage about 9/11, but most of the film deals with the life of this priest. It is very moving and inspirational. This is a film I would recommend to everyone.

I was lucky enough to catch this film at the Tribeca Film Festival in its 2nd ever showing. This is a beautifully well-done documentary showing the life of Father Mychal Judge. From his time growing up in Brooklyn to his death on 9/11/01, we are shown what made this man.I think it's safe to say that most of us first heard of Father Mychal after 9/11. But he had done so much up until that fateful day that most of the public didn't know. Whether it was ministering to people with AIDS during a time when most didn't want anything to do with them or giving a coat to a homeless person on his way home, everything Father Mychal did stemmed from love.I found this movie to be inspiring and full of love and hope. I think it's a must-see. :)