Frederick Marx An Academy and Emmy nominated filmmaker, most known for HOOP DREAMS - named the Best

The term “rites of passage” is used commonly in everyday speech. But nobody really knows what it means. There is no commonly accepted definition, much less agreed upon application. Marx will define and explain the rites of passage concept and talk about three of these passages using his own life and work as examples. I’ve been studying, making films, writing books and blogs, and giving speeches about rites of passage now for almost 30 years. It started for me as an attempt to understand what makes for the successful transition for teen boys into mature adults. It grew from there into learning about all the major life transitions. Broadly speaking, there are two structural forms rites of passage can take. There are “social constructions” like the cultural traditions implemented by tightly knit communities between the eight stages of birth, childhood, puberty, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, eldership, and death. There are also rites of passage that can arise at any age from the normal course of human events: the death of someone close, a terminal illness diagnosis, the challenge of “coming out” as GLBTQ, even moving to a new place or joining a new family. We just have to recognize that what’s typically referred to as rites of passage - like turning 18 or 21, taking a first drink or having first sex, learning to drive, voting for the first time or having a graduation - don’t carry the depth and consequence that community consecrated rites of passage do.

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