Named after the book by Father James Martin, Building a Bridge follows a priest on his journey to make the Catholic Church more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, despite loud opposition from both inside and outside the Church.
Executive Producer: Martin Scorsese
Directors: Evan Mascagni & Shannon Post
Producers: Evan Mascagni, Shannon Post, and Nick Capezzera
Executive Producers: James O'Donnell, Brian & Laura Hull, Mark McDermott & Yuval David
Cinematography by: Nick Capezzera
Edited by: Michal Labik, Ellen Knechel
Original Music by: Teddy Abrams, Nathan Farrington
Poster by: Jason Syptak
Directors’ Statement
While there has been dramatic progress on LGBTQ+ issues in this country and around the world over the last several decades, much ignorance and hatred of LGBTQ+ people remains. The main reason for peoples’ intolerance – that being gay is a sin – and the consequences are a matter of life and death for many LGBTQ+ people.
As one of the most influential religious voices in the world, the Catholic Church has the power to change the way LGBTQ+ people are treated. Father Martin’s message of building a bridge between the Church and the LGBTQ+ community resonates with us both personally, Evan as a Catholic and Shannon as a queer person, and we were inspired by the palpable energy at his talks.
Our film tells the stories of people whose lives intersect in emotional and complicated ways with Father Martin’s journey as a voice for acceptance within the Church. The conflict between conservative and liberal Catholics over LGBTQ+ issues and their efforts to shape the institution mirrors greater social and political struggles and we hope our film will lead to a greater understanding, if not common ground, as one more brick in the path toward equality and justice.
- Evan Mascagni and Shannon Post