Lost & Found in the Cathedral of Cinema

“I truly believe there is a ‘golden ratio’ hidden within storytelling. When revealed to an audience, is that man touching the divine? Jeffrey Overstreet’s personal journey through film makes a darn good case for it.” –Andrew Stanton, director and co-writer of Finding Nemo and WALL-E

“There are writers who astound me with the depth of their love and knowledge of cinema. And there are writers who pursue the truth and beauty of the divine, and reject the ignorance of the doctrinaire, with a rigor that inspires me beyond words. Jeffrey Overstreet is the very rare writer who does both. The gorgeous, jewel-like essays in Lost & Found in the Cathedral of Cinema add up to a singular confession of faith, a revelatory memoir of artistic discovery, and a much-needed reminder of God’s presence in all spaces where light and darkness converge, movie theatres very much included.” –Justin Chang, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, The New Yorker

“Jeffrey Overstreet writes about movies in an engaging and inspiring way–full of enthusiasm, curiosity, and heart. He finds surprising and beautiful connections between his own faith and the stories we experience on screen, whether it’s the playful joy of The Muppets, the quiet grace of The Black Stallion, or the magic and mystery of The Secret of Kells. His reflections are easy to read, yet deeply moving, making you want to revisit old favorites with fresh eyes. I’m truly honored that my own work is part of this thoughtful celebration of cinema.” –Tomm Moore, director and writer, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers

“Jeffrey Overstreet’s love of movies shines through every page of this engaging and thoughtful book. I suspect that I’m one of many readers who will be inspired by Overstreet’s reflections to consider how movies have been formative in our own lives.” –Kathleen Norris, author of Dakota: A Spiritual Geography and coauthor of A Whole Life in Twelve Movies

“Great writing about film is as rare and beautiful as a great film itself. No surprise, because it requires many of the same attributes. Chiefly, a consideration for the time invested by its audience and a strong, unique point of view. Overstreet’s writing is rich with both. This book is entertaining, personal, stirring, and extremely well-thought-out, and you may just emerge a more perceptive, emotionally engaged moviegoer (and person) by the end.” –Chad Hartigan, director and writer, This Is Martin Bonner, Morris from America, and The Threesome

“Jeffrey Overstreet is a bridge-builder, a writer who desires to connect what some perceive as disparate worlds–the world of faith and the world of cinema. In increasingly divisive times, where faith is weaponized and art is minimized, Overstreet invites us into a deeper relationship with both, to discover how the study of one can inform our understanding of the other, and how faith and art in concert help keep us open to the staggering and beautiful mysteries that surround us. This is devotional reading.” –Scott Teems, director and writer, The Lowdown, Rectify, and Narcos: Mexico

“Jeffrey Overstreet gets it. He knows the faith-fueling power the cinema can hold. In Lost & Found in the Cathedral of Cinema, he writes about the movies with a novelist’s passionate flair and a memoirist’s confessional vulnerability. This is the rare book that is criticism, drama, and memoir all at once.” –Josh Larsen, cohost of Filmspotting; author of Movies Are Prayers and Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies

Recognized in The New Yorker, TIME, The Seattle Times, Image, and Christianity Today for his writing on cinema, Jeffrey Overstreet, an assistant professor at Seattle Pacific University, teaches creative writing, English literature, academic writing, and film studies. He earned his BA in English literature and his MFA in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University.

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