Tag: michael arthur

directed by Michael Arthur

We all believe in something. Some people believe in some god(s). Some others in themselves. And there are also those who believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Differences make this world a more exciting place, right? Today I’d like to recommend you a documentary about Pastafari people, who belong to the church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Before you think it’s just a joke or perhaps I’m recommending some fantasy production, let me make it clear – it’s a documentary about an actual religion. If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask uncle Google for help. Personally, I’m not a religious person, but if I was to choose one path, I bet that would be a tempting option. Especially since their most important figure is made of pasta (who doesn’t love pasta?!) and according to Pastafarians, if you go to heaven, there’s a beer volcano and a stripper factory waiting for you there. I mean… not bad? Anyway, let’s focus on the documentary. Even though you might be laughing or face-palming right now, this film is not only about some group of people who have decided to wear a strainer on their heads just to be different and get attention. It’s actually about inequality among people and how religions determine our value as humans. In this documentary, we try to get the definition of religion, which isn’t that obvious. Who decides which religion is an actual religion that should be respected and which one should be considered as a creation of delusional people? Why is Flying Spaghetti Monster anything/anyone less than any of the more common gods we know or have heard of? Why are Pastafarians being checked by psychiatrists yet we let millions of people just call themselves ‘religious’ and everything’s fine? Whatever you may think of Pastafarians, they are not just fighting for the right to have their own recognised religion and be wearing a strainer in their ID photo. They fight for respect and equality in treating all people, despite their beliefs, as long as their beliefs don’t hurt anyone. And if authorities cannot accept such unusual religion, perhaps we should stop glorifying them all? Highly recommended documentary with a lot of food for thought. And pasta.

My rating: 7/10
S.