Reel Issues

Discussion questions

The monthly Reel Issues downloads offer specific questions related to the month’s film, but there are a number of standard questions and approaches that will be useful, whether in starting discussion, keeping it going or in opening it up to the group’s own thoughts, feelings and experiences. Here are some suggestions:

• Start with the obvious: what did the group think of the film? What did they like most or least?
• Which incidents made people think or feel most strongly? Invite group members to say more about these and how they feel about the way the film treated them.
• What issues did the film raise for people? It is important that the group discover these together. Often they will identify issues that you have overlooked and everyone will have something different to contribute.
• Ask people which character(s) in the film they most identify with and why. This can sometimes be a helpful way for people to express something of their own life journey from a '‘safe distance’.
• Ask the group if the film rings any bells with Christian beliefs/stories from the Bible. Does it support or challenge Christian values, so far as the group is aware? How does the Bible tackle these issues? How do group members respond to Christian approaches to these situations? This is a way of opening up dialogue with the Bible, but be sensitive to the extent or limits of your group’s knowledge and steer clear of religious jargon.
• If the director takes a distinctive approach to filming or telling the story, what does the film gain from being made in this way?