Kartemquin Films

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Inquiring Nuns

Two young nuns explore Chicago, from a supermarket to the Art Institute and in front of churches on Sunday, confronting people with the crucial question, "Are you happy?"

In the politically fraught climate of Chicago in 1968, two young nuns crisscross the city in order to ask strangers the question, “Are you happy?” The answers vary: “Happiness is the absence of fear,” “Avoiding people,” “Raspberries,” “Joy in knowing Christ.” They meet a lonely girl, a happy mother, young lovers, hippie musicians, a sociologist and even character actor Stepin Fetchit. The humor and sadness of these honest encounters lift the film beyond its conceit into a serious and moving inquiry into contemporary society and the circumstances under which people examine their lives.

While Gordon Quinn and Jerry Temaner’s second film after Home For Life (1966) was a distinctly American response to the pioneering French documentary Chronicle of a Summer (1960), it had the added benefit of laying the groundwork for decades of Kartemquin films to come.

Filmmakers

Camera

Gordon Quinn

Sound

Gerald Temaner

Editor

Gordon Quinn

Assistant Editors

Daniel Auerbach
Alfred R. Franklin

Consultant

Ronald Holloway

Music

Philip Glass

Media

Awards and Distinctions

Hot Docs

Official Selection

2016

Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival

Official Selection

2010

Rincon International Film Festival (Puerto Rico)

Retrospective

2008

Chicago International Film Festival

Official Selection

1969