BEYOND THE SONG (United States, 2005)

Beyond the Song is a three-day American Christian music festival in Cherry Valley. Carey Kirkella sees the event as a typical representative of Christianity in the United States. Because of Christianity’s dominance in the country, it is one of the most powerful and most organized religions in the world. But, according to Kirkella, most Americans confuse religion and spirituality. Problems such as violence, hunger, poverty and corruption can really be dealt with by the latter, while in practice religion loses itself in exclusivity, intolerance and separatism. Most of the young people who Kirkella met at the festival also appear to be fundamentalists, and interpret the Bible strictly, as they were taught to do.