Filmmaker Helen Whitney to visit Flagler College as part of "Ideas and Images" series

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Helen Whitney

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (10/23/2012)(readMedia)-- Mormons. Trappist monks. Gang kids. Pope John Paul II. 9/11. The Rwandan genocide.

Helen Whitney has spent a lifetime examining people and subjects from all walks of life. Over four nights in November at Flagler College, the acclaimed writer, producer and director will speak on "A Life in Film; Spiritual Landscapes," a retrospective of the last 40 years of her life and work, with an emphasis on the defining spiritual themes.

Whitney's lectures will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 6-7 and 13-14 in the Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada St., and are part of the College's "Ideas and Images" series.

"It is an exploration of a wide variety of topics, among them: juvenile crime, the McCarthy Era, contemporary presidential politics, Papal authority, the troubled relationship between Jews and Christians, our dysfunctional mental health system the oppression of gay men and women, the birth of a new American religion, Mormonism, the spiritual aftershocks of 9/11, the complexities and contradictions of the new forgiveness and many other subjects," said Whitney.

Whitney's lectures will also touch on filmmaking issues from journalistic ethics and narrative structure to the language of film and the special challenges inherent in making films about spirituality.

Whitney's features have aired on PBS, HBO and ABC including "Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero," PBS' two-hour special on 9/11 which explored the spiritual aftershocks of this horrific event. Amongst her many accolades are an Oscar nomination; two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards; a George Foster Peabody Award; an Edward R. Murrow Award for distinguished journalism; an Emmy Award; and awards from The Writer's Guild of America, The Director's Guild of America, The Hamptons International Film Festival and The San Francisco International Film Festival.

Whitney is a sought after lecturer and frequently speaks at universities, divinity schools, museums and art institutes. She has served as the Director of the Board of Film Forum in New York City and has been artist in residence at six universities and is a Woodrow Wilson scholar.

"Ideas and Images: Visiting Scholars and Artists Program" will feature an international composition of artists and authors, introducing a fresh and creative component to the greater St. Augustine community.

Each event is free and open to the public. Call (904) 819-6282 or visit www.flagler.edu/our-community for more information.

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 24 majors, 29 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost; tuition is $23,690, including room and board. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for the historic beauty of its campus. The main building is Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1887 as a luxury resort by Henry Flagler, who co-founded the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.