By snoadmin
Robin Voss, executive producer of the 2007 documentary “For The Bible Tells Me So,” came to speak about her film at the SSPA Building on Wednesday.
“For the Bible Tells Me So” follows five extremely religious families, each with a child who is homosexual.
During the film, Voss uses a cartoon to illustrate that being gay is not a choice. “This is one of the most pivotal parts of the film – many straight people have no clue that it’s not a choice,” Voss said.
Voss had no experience in full-length documentaries prior to “For The Bible Tells Me So.” Before she decided to take on the more than four-year project, she sold products by Mary Kay. Although she was successful (saying that at one point she had seven pink Cadillacs to show for it), she and producer Daniel Karslake believed the gay community needed a voice.
“This subject was a passion point for me,” Voss said. “After attending a seminar and seeing how information can transform people and change the tone of a discussion from very divisive to more inclusive. That’s what made me very steadfast in trying to put this message in film form.”
Voss offered advice to students interested in making documentaries by suggesting that they always carry their camera and tape recorder because there might be something going on that needs to be captured.
“For the Bible Tells Me So” is a winner of the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Awards for Human Rights in 2007, the HBO audience award in 2007, the Audience Award Outfest in 2007 and a nominee of Grand Jury Prize of the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.
“Overall I liked it, it had a modern point of view,” senior journalism major Brad Harris said. “I’m catholic and I’m also gay. I’ve had this struggle with my own life… it helped me to resolve some issues… I think it can help the people who are having a hard time dealing with those passages.”
