Review of “Captivated”–a documentary about media

 

At our recent homeschool convention I had the privilege to preview the documentary “Captivated,” written and produced by Philip Telfer.  I received a complimentary copy of the DVD and study guide so that I could write a thorough and honest review here.

First of all, let me tell you that “Captivated” is powerful.  I think every person who is reading these words right now needs to watch it!  It’s 107 minutes, and has over 2 hours of extras, with extended interviews.  The purpose of the documentary is to help us see how our society is becoming captivated by the media that is so ever-present in our lives.  Many people are addicted, and those that aren’t officially addicted are still being affected by media in negative ways.

Colossians 2:8 says “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception. . .”

See here for a trailer of the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJDvdJC8eHo

 

Philip Telfer helps us recognize things about media that many of us haven’t realized before.  And he helps us to see that we can find freedom in a media captive culture.  In addition to interviews with “professionals,” I loved hearing from everyday people: teens, ladies, men, and families who had been addicted to media and are now fighting against it.  The month-long media fast freaked out my oldest son, but I told him maybe we could start with three days.  It sure shows you how you feel about media when you consider doing a fast from it!

You can see some other clips from the movie here.

I also highly recommend the 52-page study guide.  I can see it being a valuable tool in many different circumstances:  for a family to study together, a small group or Bible study group from your church, Sunday School class, youth group, homeschool co-op, Christian school, etc. You can invite a group of friends over to your house for a special showing.  (See the website for information about public showings.  They make it easy for you!)

Please order a copy, watch this powerful documentary, and then pass it onto someone else!  They have a special sale on their website right now–buy one copy, get the 2nd for $5, plus free shipping.  The study guide is available for sale at the website as well, with quantity discounts.  Or you can probably find copies on Amazon or Ebay.

You may also be interested in a blog post I wrote about media choices in our home.

(I received a complimentary copy of the DVD and study guide in order to write this honest review.  This post also contains affiliate links.)

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