By Brian McLaughlin
The Cinemacafe was started earlier this year by Brian Kraus, in cooperation with the Church of the Nazarene in East Rockaway. They launched the monthly project to provide an alternative to big-budget movies, which Kraus feels offer little in the way of moral messages and thought-provoking themes.
"When we select a movie, we look for a hopeful film that is family oriented and promotes the power of faith," Kraus said.
Kraus, a 50-year-old photographer, first thought of the idea for Cinemacafe after taking his daughter to see "The Nutty Professor II." He left the movie upset by its "offensive subject matter in a supposedly family-oriented film."
Kraus turned to the Church of the Nazarene, where he is a parishioner, to address the scarcity of movies with morals. The church already had a coffeehouse, film projector and a 6-by-9-foot screen, which the Rev. Stephan Hurkens was more than happy to supply. Cinemacafe then held its first screening in June.
For Kraus, Cinemacafe is a labor of love, and funding for film licensing and rentals comes largely from his own pocket. Admission is free; however, the movie house accepts donations from audience members.
For its July showing, Cinemacafe presented "Road to Redemption," an independent film about living on the road and dealing with issues of family and faith. Kraus said about 50 people attended the screening, filling up a good portion of the cozy cafe.
Kraus said he has received positive feedback from the audience and speculated that a burgeoning interest may compel him to find a bigger space: "People have found the movies to be not only spiritually moving, but entertaining as well."
Audience member and Church of Nazarene parishioner Carol Kenger called her last visit "a breath of fresh air; you didn't have to worry about the filth that Hollywood puts in its movies these days."
Kenger also praised Cinemacafe for its comfortable and attractive environment, where audience members gather at round tables for the feature presentation.
But some residents disagree with Cinemacafe's reliance on religion as the only way to provide movies with morals.
"There are still plenty of mainstream films that offer family values and moral lessons," said Liz Haas of Lynbrook. "I'm not against Cinemacafe, but they shouldn't say that the religious films they show are the only ones containing strong values."
Kraus argued that even mainstream films intended for family audiences sometimes contain scenes or messages that are morally offensive.
"There is a difference between the concept of religion, which seems to tell people they have to live a certain way, and the concept of faith that we promote, which illustrates the importance that a belief in God and Christ has on the average person's life," he said.
Kraus said Cinemacafe aims to offer a community activity where families can go to see films that are guaranteed to carry a hopeful and moral message.
"These films are about people's lives and the decisions they make. They are movies with real heart, that might normally go unnoticed," he said.
Cinemacafe shows films at the Acts II Coffee House of the Church of the Nazarene at 124 Garfield Place, on the third Saturday of each month. Refreshments are available during the film.
The next showing will be Aug. 18. The film, "The Ride," tells the story of a fallen bull rider who must perform community service by teaching a cancer-stricken child how to ride a bull. The film deals with the difficulty of maintaining faith in the face of death.
Also, audience members are invited to stay after the movie for complimentary cake and coffee. For more information, call Brian Kraus at (516) 599-3116.
