Pick Your Favorite Film for PLU Hebrew Idol 2015

PLU Hebrew Idol is a film competition between students of Associate Professor of Religion Antonios Finitsis. Everyone who enrolls in Finitsis’ Religion 211 course, Religion and Literature of the Hebrew Bible, is required to select a passage from the Hebrew Bible and demonstrate its importance by re-creating the passage in a contemporary manner.

“What I’m doing differently is, instead of writing a paper, I’m asking students to give me their arguments in a visual form where it could be understood in 2015,” Finitsis said.

The Lutes write, direct, act, edit and shoot their films before premiering them in class. Finitsis then invites the students with the highest-quality videos to enter the Hebrew Idol competition, and the PLU community votes on the films. The films with the most votes will proceed to the April 16 Mainstage Event, where one will be crowned PLU Hebrew Idol 2015.

This year, eight films have been selected to compete in PLU Hebrew Idol voting, and the top three will advance. At the Mainstage Event, a panel of four, top-secret judges will decide who gets to walk away with the title.

Allison Groseclose ’16 wrote and directed the short film The Heisenberg Principle, based on the AMC series Breaking Bad.

Grosecloses’ film combines the Breaking Bad plot with the biblical story of Saul and the Witch of Endor.

“Our film tells a story about a young man who is put in a difficult situation and does whatever it takes to get out of it,” Groseclose said. “PLU Hebrew Idol is my favorite campus event of the year; I love that it gives the Religion department a chance to demonstrate how the study of religion is still applicable to our everyday lives.”

Philip Passantino ’17 produced and starred in the film Deception, based on the conflict between David and Absalom.

“The movie was a lot of hard work, but we finished it, [and] it feels good to complete a big project, especially one that can be enjoyed again and again,” said Passantino. “Right now, I just need to make sure the PLU community votes for Deception.”

This year marks the eighth consecutive PLU Hebrew Idol competition.

“I happen to believe that PLU students are smart; I also happen to think that what our students make at PLU is not what students at other institutions make … I want to showcase our talent; I want to showcase our students,” Finitsis said.