Shop for a film
GOD'S GIRLS: Stories from an Australian Convent
Year: 1992
Classification: PG
Runtime: 49 min
Produced In: Australia
Directed By: Cherie Nowlan
Produced By: Glenys Rowe
Language: English
GOD'S GIRLS describes life in a Sisters of Mercy convent in country New South Wales from the 1940s to the present day.
In early times, the days were regimented to military precision - prayer, work, prayer and more work. The nuns were permitted no contact with family, friendships were not encouraged within the convent, eye contact with others was not allowed and silences which would sometimes last for eight days were all part of religious life.
With the sweeping changes of Vatican II in the sixties, and ensuing access to the world outside the convent wall through newspapers, books and church history, many nuns found themselves questioning the politics and society of the Church. Some have stayed, believing the vows of sacrifice, prayer and celibacy are worth something in an increasingly materialistic world. Others have left. For those nuns who have stayed, the future of the sisterhood is in jeopardy and depends greatly on their flexibility to adapt to an everchanging society.
The film delves deeply into the beliefs of those women who have chosen to live a very different life from that of most women. With integrity, wit and sensitivity, it also gives voice to those who have chosen to leave the sisterhood.
The stories from the women in the film reflect the often intricate paths of social, political and religious history, not only in Australia but also in the rest of the world.
"More gripping than the fictional BRIDES OF CHRIST." - The Guardian, London.
Permalink: https://www.roninfilms.com.au/feature/811