With self-righteous religious conservatism flooding the airways, Peter Wiedensmith’s unassuming docu on Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell sounds a welcome, unabashedly humanistic note. Read the full review.
Ronnie Scheib
Variety
Shining an intimate light on an individual in order to reveal greater truths about life and the world, Raw Faith focuses on progressive-minded Portland, Oregon, Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell. Read the full review.
Nick Schager
Village Voice
As holistic a portrait of religious devotion and engagement as exists in recent memory… a film of utterly sincere uplift. Read the full review.
Brent Simon
Shockya.com
At long last a vibrant, emotionally rich, relevant, and timely documentary about a progressive Unitarian Universalist minister and the challenges she faces in her public and private lives. Read the full review.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
It’s refreshing to see a documentary about a normal grown-up who is struggling with problems of life and love, just as so many invisible others do. Read the full review.
Neil Genzlinger
New York Times
Part personal documentary and part doc-as-tribute, Raw Faith needed a true star to work at all. She’s found in Marilyn Sewell, a sixty-something Unitarian minister. Read the full review.
Marsha McCreadie
Film Journal International
Raw Faith is as pared as Sewell’s sermons, as there doesn’t seem to be a misplaced or gratuitous moment in the entire film. Read the full review.
Chuck Bowen
Slant Magazine
Praise for Marilyn Sewell and the documentary film Raw Faith:
“Thank you for your willingness to be so open, honest and vulnerable. I think that we are all uplifted when we connect through our tender places and deep humanity.”
“Your father said for you to ‘Give ‘em hell.’ I suspect that may be Louisiana talk for ‘lead them to salvation,’ and this you have done, and are doing, and will continue to do for a very long time.”
“This was one of the best film watching experiences of my life. I wept, I laughed, I cringed, I soared.”
“I recently had the great privilege of watching your documentary Raw Faith. I wept through the whole viewing. Thank you for being so honest… You showed me that someone’s strength can be seen in their struggle. Not only is your success inspiring but also your vulnerability..”