Earlier this year, David Butterworth (Pendle Hill’s IT Coordinator) published his first book, Celluloid Friends: Cinematic Quakers, Real and Imagined (1922–2012). A film buff, he was curious about how Quakers were portrayed in commercial films. Upon
investigation, David was surprised to learn how few films provide any significant portrayal of Friends or the Quaker experience, no matter how fair or accurate. Celluloid Friends… represents the culmination of that research, a comprehensive description of the peculiar smorgasbord of films – a scant twenty-two by his accounting – that satisfied this definition.

In our First Monday forum, David will revisit, via discussion and film clips, some of the movies he watched so that you didn’t have to. Copies of his book (“A steal at just $9.00!” –QuakerBooks of FGC), as well as complimentary fair trade organic popcorn and recombinant bovine growth hormone-free bottled water, will be available.

Leader(s)

David N. Butterworth studied Film & Television Production and History of Art at West Surrey College of Art & Design in Farnham, England, before relocating to the United States in 1983. He started writing film reviews in 1988 for the “Daily Pennsylvanian,” the student-run newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania. His first review was of Godfrey Reggio’s visually resplendent yet wordless tone poem, Powaqqatsi – he figured it should get a little easier after that!

Since that time, David created and edited the film review website, “La Movie Boeuf,” and served as Film Editor and contributor for OFFOFFOFF.com – “the guide to alternative New York arts, entertainment, and culture.” David has also worked as a staff writer and film critic for various print and online publications including the “Ritz Filmbill,” the “Las Vegas Weekly,” and Philadelphia’s “Broad Street Community Newspapers.” For the last several years, he has served various Quaker institutions, supporting information technology. David lives in Merchantville, New Jersey, with his wife Emily Lockwood Corse and has four daughters – Zoë, Grace, Lilla, and Bailey.

Travel directions to Pendle Hill. Click to view the flyer.