Photo of Saint Benedict's Students

Film Screening: “The Rule” by Italian American Directors Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno

Tues., Nov. 18th 7:00-9:30pm
University Hall 1010
Free and open to the public
View Official Flyer

The Rule

The latest documentary by these two Italian American directors examines how the Benedictine monks of Newark Abbey achieve success in the heart of one of America’s most dangerous cities with one of its most vulnerable populations: inner city African American and Latino teenage males. While Newark, NJ, with a high poverty rate of 32%, has an abysmal high school graduation rate, St. Benedict’s Prep has a near 100% college acceptance rate. The film details how the monks’ “recipe for success” follows the 6th-century Rule of Italian Saint Benedict of Norcia and how the rule of the order he founded can serve as a model for whole cities nationwide.

The Rule Group Photo

Presented as part of the Montclair State University Film Forum and the Agenda for Education in a Democracy, this is a program of relevance for students and professors of practically all colleges/schools on campus, and in particular the Humanities and Social Sciences, Education, Arts, Communication and Media. It should also be of interest to the broader off-campus community of New Jersey and New York.

For more information see The Rule‘s official website and trailer.

Introduction by Roberta Friedman (School of Communication and Media/Film Forum)

Post-screening Q&A with the Bongiornos, Fr. Albert Holtz (Newark Abbey), and Greg Waters (Honors Program)

Moderators: Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair) and Leslie Wilson (CHSS Assistant to the Dean)

  • Co-sponsored with the Montclair Film Forum, the Agenda for Education in a Democracy (Center of Pedagogy, CEHS), the Honors Program, and The Montclair State University Film Institute.

THE RULE 2.5 min Promo from Jerome Bongiorno on Vimeo.

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