Surely, no two religious experiences are the same, but Higher Ground comes as close as any film to capturing that process of finding faith in a quiet way. We can thank Vera Farmiga for that, and no surprise there. She stars and directs a cast full of rich performances. Farmiga’s character Corinne is a married woman in the 1960s who comes to question her devotion to God and husband, especially after her friend barely survives surgery for a brain tumor. She wants to have faith and a connection to a higher being, but she has trouble finding either. Farmiga leads the audience along that path delicately and in the end, you’re left with a bittersweet aftertaste. The film is being released in select theaters nationwide; find one near you here.
On to Sacred Ground
We round out today’s show by revisiting a poet who wrote a piece in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Joan Murray read “Survivors—Found” on NPR’s Morning Edition, hosted then by Bob, eight days after the attacks. The poem generated such interest that Joan was invited to edit an anthology of poetry related to the tragedy, titled Poems to Live by in Troubling Times. Murray’s newest poem is “Steel,” which she will read at the dedication of “Tempered by Memory,” a 9/11 sculpture made from World Trade Center steel. She nicely captures the voice of the ironworkers who constructed the memorial at Saratoga Springs, New York.
– Ariana Pekary, producer