THE FORBIDDEN CALL
Film poster for "The Forbidden Call" with woman standing at altar.
THE FORBIDDEN CALL
Film poster for "The Forbidden Call" with woman standing at altar.
CHANGE IN THE MALE-LED CATHOLIC CHURCH IS LONG OVERDUE. ONE WOMAN IS READY TO TAKE A STAND

THE FORBIDDEN CALL

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Educational Media Reviews Online FINALIST - KCET's Fine Cut Festival of Films | HONORABLE MENTION - SPLICE Film Fest

Women in the Priesthood • Christian & Catholic Studies • Social Movements • Religion and Spirituality • LGBTQ+ • Short Documentaries • Women & Gender Studies


Date of Completion: 2022 | Run Time: 7 minutes​​ | Language: English with English subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: AnaMichele Morejon | Producer: AnaMichele Morejon

THE FORBIDDEN CALL is a short documentary that follows Diane Whalen, a wife, mother, and spiritual director who is Catholic to her core. After 30 years in her local parish with increasingly narrow and restrictive ideology, Diane discerns a call — to become a priest in a renewed, more inclusive vision of the Church. With stark opposition from the Vatican, she risks losing the only faith community she has ever known. Change in the Catholic Church is long overdue, but Diane's ministry is one step in the right direction.

Educational Media Reviews Online | Reviewed by Elena Landry, George Mason Libraries, Fairfax, VA
"I highly recommend this very short documentary to anyone interested in faith and spiritual examination."

Video Librarian | Reviewed by Sue-Ellen Beauregard
"A quick way to introduce a complex topic in college classrooms and other group settings to elicit discussions about women’s roles, religious beliefs, commitment, and dissent. Recommended for documentary and religious shelves in academic libraries."

Loyola Marymount University | Mark Aloysius, SJ, D.Phil., Postdoctoral Instructor of Theological Studies
"I was delighted to show The Forbidden Call to my class on dissent, to have AnaMichele speak to us about her documentary and participate in class discussion. The documentary is a wonderful piece of scholarship and demonstrates what a college senior is capable of accomplishing. As a documentary, I find it thought provoking and empathetic. I used it in class to demonstrate how dissent is an unusual form of loyalty and love to the Church. It opened up class discussion concerning theories of dissent in a very heartfelt manner."

FutureChurch | Russ Petrus, Co-Director, FutureChurch
"It was a true joy to be able to share The Forbidden Call with our FutureChurch membership. AnaMichele Morejon beautifully captures the faithful struggle, shared by so many women, to respond authentically to God’s call in their lives as members of an institution unwilling to receive their gifts and vocations. The Forbidden Call sparked a deep and meaningful intergenerational conversation that continues to inspire our membership to this day."

AWARDS
Finalist | KCET's Fine Cut Festival of Films
Honorable Mention | 
SPLICE Film Fest
Semi-Finalist | 
On Screen Film Festival

FESTIVALS
Atlanta Docufest
Social Justice Film Festival
Global Peace Film Festival
Student World Impact Film Festival

SCREENINGS
Loyola Marymount University
FutureChurch