Church Camp is designated a LGBTQ short film and sounds like an ugly clash of civilizations. Praying away the gay and fire and brimstone directed at the young vulnerable gay people, you almost can’t wait to seethe the oncoming hypocrisy. But the Andrew Bourne 13 minute film takes a different turn, and while the characters certainly must navigate the uncertainties of this community, the struggle faced translates to whatever world they happen to live in.
In this setting, Josh (Espen Brante) is the one trying to make his way as a closeted “B,” which again, sounds like catastrophe. Not quite, this group of Christian followers accepts “everyone in the LGBTQIA+ lifestyle.”
So says minister Dave (Marcel Thompkins), but like everywhere else, things aren’t quite that seamless. In the minister’s case, Thompkins means well and gives us a character who wants to be inclusive. Unfortunately, he falls short. Instead, Dave still feels uncomfortable with a paradigm that is new to even progressive communities like this.
On the other hand, we like that he’s trying and the bumbling cluelessness that Thompkins exudes does more than make us laugh. He makes us feel very comfortable and empathetic of his character because sometimes it’s us who struggle to understand people we aren’t like.
Maybe not so great for Josh, Dave is easy enough to write off and Brante’s performance allows his character to manage with a perfect mix of maturity and vulnerability. Either way, Josh has Sophie in his corner.
Played by Kyra Johnson, the actress oozes a teenage, I don’t give a crap attitude. Having it down to a science, Johnson makes it seem like her character was placed on the planet to be lesbian and out and situates herself in the face of anyone who can’t accept the differences.
All other matters too, Cassidy’s eye rolls and dismissive interactions are a conduit that reinforces all the silliness around. Among the examples are a life sized Jesus bread, hokey activities that gush unconditional love for the unseen almighty and the clumsy attempts to align modern life with religious tradition.
The Christian Rock lyrics, the same judgement remains a possibility. Not necessarily, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but without a doubt, there’s a definite rhythmic poetry to the stanzas, and the melodies composed by Alanna Skye Quiton provide an entertaining upbeat groove. All delivered by Madison (Allison Crawford) with her guitar, the singer reminds us of the setting, and even if we’re not part of it, we are moved just the same.
An agenda that aligns with Bourne’s own background. He was a bi-kid at Church Camps and fondly remembers all the quirky oddness and uses the fodder for effective comedy.
Still there are aggressions that aren’t so micro, and Madison Monzingo does the heavy lifting in that regard. Playing Cassidy, the young actress has all the certainty of the Bible verses that condemns the likes of a Sophie and her sin.
Hard to miss for Josh, he can’t so easily unburden himself of his secret, and stepping up for others is a pretty tall task too. Inevitably, the drama escalates for our two outcasts, and despite the lighter undertones, their friendship gets caught in the crossfire.
Nonetheless, Church Camp lays out a roadmap for all. With people of all stripes along the way, when you side step the bad, and put your faith in the good, any difficulty can be overcome.
