well…what is your purpose for making this short film?
Is it to provide art to the non-Christian world? Is it to provide art to the Christian world? Is it to provide art to both?
I think the answer to all of those questions is pretty easy.
If it’s the first, show breasts if you want.
If it’s the second, don’t show breasts.
If it’s the third, then you need to figure out whether you WANT to show breasts. If you feel you need to, then do it. If you feel that it is not required to make the film true, then it’s best to avoid it.
If your intention is just so you get to see boobs…well then you just need to visit a strip club.
of course, this is the point in the discussion where I say to you that you are a Christian. What we do isn’t for this world, nor should it be.
As to the other question, specifically:
“Should Christians always shy away from sexual content and even discussion of sex, for the purpose of not ’stumbling’?”
First that seems like a loaded question. You group “sexual content” and “discussion of sex” in such a way as to make it seem disdainful to shy away from either.
God gave us sex for a reason. That reason is definatly not JUST for the procreation of the species, the reason most definatly involves enjoyment. However, just because we have the “tools” for a task, does not mean that task is always the correct resolution to a situation.
Wow…I sure make sex sound boring.
Let me rephrase.
Just because God gave us the ability to have sex, doesn’t mean that there AREN’T times and places where it is innapropriate in action or context.
*edit*
I agree with Drew…that would be creepy to have the actress be someone I knew.
Actually…that makes me think of a question for you. Why is it necessary that the actress be nude in the scene? For artistic integrity? You don’t think you can accomplish the scene accurately without her actually being nude?
Just wondering.
It wouldn’t bother me if it was a tribal setting. Like in nation geographic.
haha
It began with the problem of, “how do I go about asking a girl to play Bathsheba?” I was talking about my project and presented this problem to a friend, and she said, “well, I’ll do it,” and she agreed to show whatever. And from there I didn’t necessarily PLAN on her being naked, but I knew it was a possibility. I saw it as an artistic option, like when you need a unique location for filming and a friend says, “well, I have this perfect lake in my 10 acre backyard…” Kinda like that, ya see?
Yet in filming I knew I’d take the nudity for granted, since I’m not a porn director. While filming, I’d just go with what my artistic instinct tells me, whether that involves the nudity or not.
I’m starting to agree with Drew though.
And I am planning on this being a movie for believers and unbelievers. So I have to go with the third and most difficult scenerio.
But I probably won’t show anything.
The question still stands though. It’s still very important to me as a Christian filmmaker to figure it out. I would actually make a bet that, no matter what context I put nudity in, the most conservative Christians would still, and quite predictably, misinterpret what they see as bawdiness, decadence, pornography.
So don’t show it to Baptists.
HAHA!
lol problem solved.