Home Blog

A Community Round Table: Dealing With A Culture of Anxiety

Join Jonny as he continues to invite the community to talk about the important issues surrounding us. He welcomes special guest, licensed local social worker, Holly Meginniss to talk about how to survive in a culture of anxiety A big thank you to Lunarium (1925 N Monroe in Spokane WA) for hosting these important conversations

Cinematic Considerations: All We Imagine As Light

Plot: “In Mumbai, Nurse Prabha’s routine is troubled when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her boyfriend.” -IMDB

Review: Mumbai is expansive. It fills every inch of the screen, stretching further than we can imagine, reaching into the distance. The city feels forever, as we open on two roommates doing all they can to navigate city life. Prabha (Kani Kusruti) is a nurse at a local hospital. She is married, yet estranged from her husband. With her husband far removed from the scene, she frequently bumps into another soul in this massive city; a doctor at her hospital who she is dating on the side.  

And then there is her younger roommate, Anu (Divya Prabha). In the expanse of Mumbai, Anu wants to find space that she can call her own; a space where she and her boyfriend can take their relationship to the next level. This is a task they are finding nearly impossible.  

For much of this film, the interplay between relationships seems to be the challenge our characters are attempting to overcome. “What do these characters want out of life?” seems to be the central question driving each character’s motivation. If this slow and quiet story had stopped here, I would have been satisfied, but emotionally unmoved. Luckily for me and for us, this film enters a third act where everything changes.  

Out of the blue, Prabha receives an unexpected gift from her absent husband. This gift pulls her and Anu to the sea to uncover the mystery of her husband’s disappearance. For me, this journey and all that it uncovers is where this film truly shines. In the embrace of the sea, issues of fate, culture, destiny, and love finally reveal themselves, and you, as an audience member, are invited into a shared space to ask similar questions of your own life.  

This film takes some time to show itself. For much of the film, I found myself uninterested and disconnected from the characters. But when we are finally invited to join their circle and question what we want out of our own lives via the challenges of our central characters, I think the light finally shines on this story for all to see.  

Be good to each other,

Nathan

Visit Nathan at

Cinematic Considerations: Conclave

Plot: “When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.” -IMDB

Review: Conclave doesn’t waste any time getting to the event that has rocked the Catholic Church. The Pope is dead, and a system of intense tradition is already in motion. As Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) makes his way to the Pope’s chambers with urgency, you will notice something that will become a recurring theme throughout this film. Natural sound and the music behind each scene are used brilliantly to draw you in and force your attention on the screen.  

The second thing that you may notice about this film is that it feels familiar. For fans of the Netflix series, House of Cards, you will find a friend in this story. As fellow Cardinals Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Tremblay (John Lithgow), Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), as well as a cast of potential leaders, vie to ascend to the church’s highest position, politics and scandal seep into one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events. With the introduction of each new character and the subsequent challenges that might stifle their ascension, your intrigue will grow.  

Quickly, you will notice the dividing lines mirror the real world. Beyond obvious lines of language and region, the Cardinals are divided into liberal and conservative factions. Long-debated issues, such as a woman’s role in the church, LGBTQ+ membership, and child abuse scandals, force every Cardinal to carefully consider the direction of the church.  

We spend much of the film watching Cardinal Lawrence do his best to manage these factions while limiting the impacts of the outside world. Secrets, scandal, diabolical forces, and moments of unspeakable violence are fully felt within the hallowed walls of the conclave. Every man in this collection has a history that could be potentially damning for the church. Every man is motivated by their own selfish ambitions and ability to persuade others. As they debate and whisper in dark corners, they are fundamentally trying to answer a simple question. What is the church? Depending on how one answers that question, where they land in their selection of a new papacy is revealed. On paper, this can all sound mundane and procedural, but I assure you that the level of human drama here is much more enthralling than that.  

As a non-Catholic, I found this story to be a deeply fascinating and intriguing world to enter. I also found the tradition alluring. Most of this film feels like a political convention. Any passive-watcher of American politics will find this familiar and approachable. What centers and grounds this story, and makes it worth seeing, is the human element. These men are not without faults, yet from their ranks, they are trying to select God’s representative on Earth. As a selection is finally made, a new world is revealed, and a new debate begins. For my money, the twist at the end felt perfectly conceived and wonderfully controversial in the most powerful way possible.  

Be good to each other,

Nathan

Visit Nathan at

Our Community Roundtable with Jonathan Shuffield

0

Conversation, it’s a lost art form, it keeps us connected, it builds community.  I am proud to partner  with Lunarium in Spokane, WA to provide a space  to come together and talk to each other.  I hope you will join us as we explore subjects like censorship, cultural anxiety, community, and the creative fight. Welcome to our Community Roundtable, check our website for opportunities to come be part of the audience.

www.lunariumspokane.com

31 Photos of Protest

It is with great joy that we release the first of 31 photos of protest for the next 31 days.

Thank you to all the models and the community members and photographers and graphic designers who helped make this happen. It’s time that we be louder than ever! (Please share, spread the word, and follow us on our socials)

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

image A

Image b

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

TQC: Beetlejuice the Musical Rings in the New Year In Spokane!

0

Join Jonny as he sits down with actor Patrick Oliver Jones who plays the over-the-top and unforgettable character of Otho Fenlock in Beetlejuice the Musical. It’s coming to Spokane from December 31st to January 5th and you will not want to miss this!

Get your tickets today at www.broadwayspokane.com

TQC: Jonny and Friends Featuring Ian Sullivan

0

Check out a new segment with The Queer Centric as Jonny sits down with friends to talk about all sorts of queer things! It’s important now more than ever to come together with those we care about! We talk about Sean Mendez, the never ending concept of queer baiting, some great queer films, fluidity of sexuality, and so much more! There is so much! Thank you to Ian Sullivan for joining me for the very first time we do this segment!

Jonny sits down with Recording Artist and Actor Ben Chavez

Join Jonny as he talks with recording artist all about the new video for his single “I Wouldn’t Know Love,” being a newly wed, and how he keeps focused on creating. There might even be a fun challenge thrown down that benefits us all! Give it a watch!

Video Link for “I Wouldn’t Know Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urgr-Btqp2c

or visit the Ben Chavez website: www.benchavezmusic.com

Or Instagram: @ben__chavez

We have merch – https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-queercentric/

INSTAGRAM
https://instagram.com/thequeercentric

FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/TheQueerCentric

TWITTER
https://twitter.com/thequeercentric

EMAIL
editor@thequeercentric.com

Other shows –

Mindful Mondays
https://thequeercentric.com/category/mindful-mondays/

Bears of a Certain Age
https://www.youtube.com/@bearsofacertainage

TQC: Jonny sits down with Recording Artist and Actor Ben Chavez

Join Jonny as he talks with recording artist all about the new video for his single “I Wouldn’t Know Love,” being a newly wed, and how he keeps focused on creating. There might even be a fun challenge thrown down that benefits us all! Give it a watch!

Video Link for “I Wouldn’t Know Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urgr-Btqp2c

or visit the Ben Chavez website: www.benchavezmusic.com

Or Instagram: @ben__chavez

We have merch – https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-queercentric/

INSTAGRAM
https://instagram.com/thequeercentric

TIKTOK

@thequeercentric

FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/TheQueerCentric

TWITTER
https://twitter.com/thequeercentric

EMAIL
editor@thequeercentric.com

Other shows –

Mindful Mondays
https://thequeercentric.com/category/mindful-mondays/

Bears of a Certain Age
https://www.youtube.com/@bearsofacertainage

The QueerCentric Roundtable: Influencers

0

Join Jonny from The QueerCentric as he hosts a Roundtable discussion on Influencers; how it works, is it a part of the new economy and how can we leverage it for a better community? We thank Lunarium, Spokane’s best late night tea house for hosting our conversation. Give it a watch and hopefully you’ll find some good information and conversation starters. It is all about community and conncection. www.thequeercentric.com

Upcoming Events