Educational Media Reviews Online

Adelante is a touching portrait of how one Catholic parish adapted to the changing demographics of their community. Noam Osband's film documents how an influx of Mexican immigrants invigorated a traditionally Irish church that had slowly been losing parishioners. Although brief mention is given to some members of the community who resent the immigrants, the overall tone is uplifting as the church members depicted in the film are welcoming and willing to adapt their traditions to those of the new parishioners. The title, Spanish for "come in," is apt.

The film does an excellent job at setting the stage, giving a brief history of St. Patrick's Church in Norristown, PA. The majority of the film focuses on Father Murphy who works with the immigrant community to make the church an important part of their new experience. Fluent in Spanish, Father Murphy provides support without judgment. He offers masses in both English and Spanish. Although sex before marriage is anathema to Catholics, Murphy is understanding of young couples who have children prior to marriage not wanting to marry without their families, still back in Mexico, present. He works with those who want to get married to provide group weddings to make them more affordable.

In addition to Murphy, Osband's film follows a select few immigrant and a handful of older church members to tell this fascinating story of how these two cultures worked together to create a vibrant church. Despite a slight hint of self-preservation, Father Murphy's desire to bring these two cultures together feels genuine.

Osband accomplishes a lot in 50 minutes. The production is pretty basic, but the premise and the stories of the church members make this a special and memorable film.

Awards

• Canada International Film Festival, 2014 - Rising Star Award