AFI Dallas

I had a first today. My friend and I attended a movie as part of the AFI Dallas film festival. Each year that I've lived in Dallas the opportunity to attend has been missed, until now. This year I was determined to take advantage of the local opportunity. What's the point of living in the land of cement if you don't capitalize on it's high points?

At about 11am we set out to pick up vouchers I had purchased earlier this week online. It dawned on me this morning that we might have to get our butts in gear on the ticket situation, or we might not get to see some of the movies that were on our list. Sure enough, the movie I wanted to see was tagged "close off" online. Unfortunately, I had no idea what that term meant, but it sounded bad.

After driving downtown to Victory Park, hunting for a parking place, digging around for loose change to pay the meter, and battling our way through the crazy wind tunnel created by the tall buildings (did I mention the small children who were clinging to their parents to avoid being swept away by the strong gusts?), we finally located the box office where a nice, somewhat unorganized man, proceeded to explain the process for getting into the movie. He was able to change some of our vouchers into tickets, but the others will have to be exchanged in a "rush line", which is a whole other situation we dealt with later in the afternoon.

Tickets and vouchers in hand we set off for the movie theater hoping to get into a movie titled "Whatever it Takes." I drove us to Mockingbird Station where the nice box office clerk looked at me cross-eyed when I asked her for thickets to the 1 o'clock showing of the movie. We were at the wrong theater (go figure). She said we need to go to North Park Mall and that we probably had no chance of getting tickets in the rush line because she had stood in line for a movie the night before with no success. So, with Negative Nancy's advice in hand, we proceeded a few exits North on 75 and made it to the theater about an hour before the start of the movie. We stood in line the entire time wondering if our waiting would be in vain.

I am happy to say the hand of God granted us entrance to the movie. It was a great movie. Following the first year of a new school in the South Bronx the movie documented, with great honesty, the struggles individuals face in the public education system. After the movie the director was on hand for Q&A. It was really cool to hear his insights. When asked about distribution of the film he stated that parents and preservice teachers are their target audience. They want parents to see that there are people offering quality education out there. The film offers preservice teachers the opportunity to see some of the issues they might face in what I'm convinced is one of the most challenging careers on the planet.

I truly believe that God is raising up a generation of people who are using their gifts and talents to openly spread Truth. The director and the main character, the principal, are both followers of Christ. The movie flashes back in the principal's personal history to reveal how God changed his life plan and career path from the pursuit of a high-profile job with Saks to a life-long commitment to educating youth who are underprivileged. It was a powerful, though not perfect, story.

All this to say, despite the run around and standing in line, my expectations for the film festival were not let down. Who knew I would have an overtly spiritual experience at AFI Dallas? God works in a amazing ways.