The above film is rated NC-17. The trailer is probably PG-13. Please use discretion when viewing.

In an interview with Steve McQueen, Shame‘s director, Newsweek called Shame a “brilliant psychosexual drama.”

While I only THINK I know what that means, the interview with the director was interesting…

When Steve McQueen first heard of sex addiction as a phenomenon, the British director scoffed at the idea that sexaholics need sympathy, too. “Like most people, I just laughed,” McQueen recalled recently over tea in Beverly Hills.

But after speaking with sufferers and attending Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings in the name of research, the Turner Prize–winning visual artist turned filmmaker was convinced otherwise. “The stories we heard were so devastatingly sad,” said McQueen. “It’s not like alcoholism or drug addiction, where there’s some built-in sympathy. It’s almost like the AIDS epidemic in the early days. No one wants to deal with you. You’re weird. You’re a fiend. That stigma is still attached.”

McQueen goes on to say…

“This movie has as much to do with sex as alcoholism has to do with being thirsty,” McQueen, 42, said. “It’s just an outlet. We drink or do drugs or have sex as a distraction. That’s because it’s hard to be a human being. Anything to numb the pain—that’s what we do.”

READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW HERE.

Overall, how well do you think the church understands sex addiction?

And again, overall, are we a part of the solution or the problem?

I mean, are all of our tactics, counseling sessions, graces, expectations, “sex for 7 days” challenges, abstinence goals, etc. etc. etc. helpful?

Or does our own “psychosexual drama” a la God keep us from being truly helpful?

THOUGHTS?

Sex & Shame (use discretion when reading this post) is a post from: Jesus Needs New PR