Cinema Diverse Showcase: 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE

DIRECTOR: SHARON "ROCKY" ROGGIO

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture is a feature documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946.

1946 chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale University which unveil astonishing new revelations, and casts significant doubt on any biblical basis for LGBTQIA+ prejudice. Featuring commentary from prominent scholars as well as opposing pastors, including the personal stories of the film’s creators, 1946 is at once challenging, enlightening, and inspiring.

While other documentaries have been successful in their attempt to treat the symptom of homophobia in the church, 1946 is working to diagnose and treat the disease - Biblical Literalism.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture is a film that documents the history behind a poor translation of an ancient text, and the subsequent devastating aftermath.

Yet while so much of the documentary’s content is rooted in research and scholarship, the heartbeat of the film are the personal stories of its creators, including my own.

In a sense, my story is not exceptional. I was raised in a loving home, the daughter of a Christian pastor who believes being gay is a sin. Realizing I was a lesbian at a young age, I carried tension, fear, and spiritual anxiety because of how my family believed. Then came an act of betrayal that robbed me of being able to come out to my family on my own terms. What followed was estrangement, heartbreak, and profound sadness. There existed an unspoken disconnection that felt irreparable. Through it all was a deep yearning for reconciliation and acceptance.

While there are countless stories that are similar, my journey has been uniquely personal. Having worked for years in the film industry as a producer, I came across the research surrounding the mistranslation of the Bible. My life immediately changed. My mission and purpose became clear. This research needed to be brought out into the light.

What started off with a few cameras at a conference with a nonexistent budget has absolutely blossomed into a movement that I could not have foreseen. Today 1946 has an established dedicated team of volunteers who’ve contributed their time, money, and efforts to bring this film to the world. We’ve received major donations from individuals, private organizations, churches and crowd funding. The production has been 100% bootstrapped through private donations. Every single budgetary need has been met exactly when and where and how we needed it. We always had just enough to get the job done.

1946 won’t change everyone’s mind. LGBTQIA+ discrimination has a lot of momentum that can’t be stopped overnight. But if this research and these stories lead to productive conversations within communities of faith, then 1946’s purpose will be fulfilled.

But even more important are the potential conversations within families. Much of the evangelical community are not bad people. Rather, they are victims of bad theology, just as we are. Biblical literalism has led to the marginalization of innumerable human beings, not just within the gay community. But most families love each other. And where there is love there is a willingness to learn. Where there is love, there is hope.

It means the world to me that my family, including my father, will be with me at the premiere of 1946. While we still have our differences, which are documented in the movie, a throughline of compassion persists which I hope comes through. The unspoken disconnection still exists, and I still have the universal need for belonging. Perhaps 1946 will bring me closer to my dream. I hope it does so for others as well.

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture for me as a director, isn’t just a film anymore. It’s an act of mercy, it’s an act of compassion, it’s an act of justice, and of empathy, not only for those involved in the creation of the film, for those we interviewed, for the audience who will watch it, but for myself as well. It’s an act of Grace.

We hope it will be for you too.

Thank you

Sharon "Rocky" Roggio

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Palm Springs Cultural Center