What Would Jesus Buy? A hilarious new documentary to première in Cape Town May 15, 2008

What Would Jesus Buy?, a funny but thought-provoking documentary about our society’s ballooning shopping habits produced by Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame will be shown for the first time in South Africa at the Labia on Orange cinema in Cape Town on Sunday 25 May at 8:15pm, on Monday 26 May at 6:15pm and on Tuesday 27 May at 8:15pm.

The Shopocalypse is upon us … Who will be $aved?

What Would Jesus Buy? follows New York’s legendary performance artist and activist, the Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a crusading mission across the USA to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of humankind as a result of consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!

What Would Jesus Buy? is a serious docu-comedy about the commercialization of Christmas. Bill Talen (aka Reverend Billy) was a lost idealist who hitchhiked to New York City only to find that Times Square was becoming a mall. Spurred on by the loss of his neighbourhood and inspired by the sidewalk preachers around him, Bill bought a collar to match his white caterer’s jacket, bleached his hair and became the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Since 1999, Reverend Billy has gone from being a lone preacher with a portable pulpit preaching on subways, to the leader of a congregation and a movement whose numbers are well into the thousands.

Reverend Billy’s epic journey takes us from chilling exorcisms at the Wal-Mart headquarters to retail interventions at the Mall of America and all the way to the Promised Land … Disneyland. Provocative and entertaining, but never blasphemous, Reverend Billy demonstrates that serious social activism can be fun as well as effective.

For more information consult the official movie website: www.wwjbmovie.com.

The screenings will be followed by a facilitated audience discussion. Tickets are R20 and can be reserved by calling The Labia at (021) 424 5927. Reserving tickets is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.

This event is presented by The Labia and While You Were Sleeping, a Cape Town-based non-profit film collective committed to bringing progressive, non-mainstream documentaries with important social and environmental messages to South African audiences.

Contacts:

The Labia:

021 424 5927

While You Were Sleeping
Andreas Späth

084 772 1056
Andreas_Spath@yahoo.com
www.whileyouweresleeping.wordpress.com