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Vicar serves up Chocolat this Lent

Kate Stirrup
29/ 1/2004

A VICAR is showing her parishioners a sensual film about a French chocolate maker as a way of exploring religious issues for Lent.

Rev Kaz Stanton at St Paul's in Withington will be showing the Johnny Depp film Chocolat as the centre of a course 'Christ and the Chocolaterie' during the period of Lent in March.

Chocolat is the tale of Vianne Rocher (played by Juliet Binoche) and her daughter who move to a small village in southern France and open a chocolate shop across from the church - just as the townsfolk are preparing to observe Lent.

The parish priest is horrified, especially as Vianne keeps her tempting shop open on Sundays and begins an affair with a free-spirited nomad, played by Hollywood heart-throb Depp.

But over time the arrival of Vianne and her luxurious shop transforms the conservative and religious locals into open-minded, fun-loving people.

Kaz, 42, is a big fan of the film and says she is interested in using different ways of spreading the word.

She said: "What better way of reaching people than through film. It's good to gain a concept of God from things other than what we would expect. For example looking at the way Johnny Depp's character is treated - it is important to establish why people excluded him.

"The course will look at the key issues addressed in the film, like the power of a gift and the process of change. I think the course should be quite far-reaching helping us look at at how we view people."

Kaz, of Westbourne Grove, has been curate at St Paul's, on Wilmslow Road, for six months and added: "There has been quite a lot of interest in Christ and the Chocolaterie. Within the church many people have said it sounds very interesting, so let's hope it goes well."