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Directed by John Michael McDonagh, “Calvary” is an Irish film due for release soon, and is sure to cause quite a stir in cinemas. It tells the story of James Lavelle, an Irish Catholic priest played by Brendan Gleeson, who receives a death threat from one of his parishioners. The reason: he had allegedly been abused by a priest when he was a child.
This particularly difficult subject echoes the scandal of 2009, when the report of an Irish commission lifted the veil on several hundred victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by the church over 35 years. An affair that did great harm to the Irish church.
Although the theme is dramatic, the director has chosen to approach the subject from a rather atypical angle, blending drama and black comedy: “It’s such a difficult, disturbing, horrible subject, these scandalous abuses perpetrated by priests… Why approach them in such an obvious way? It was better to approach it from the side, through comedy.“explains John Michael McDonagh.
Filmed in the village of Easkay in County Sligo, Calvary is a 100% Irish film, which gives pride of place to both the characters and the landscape.
“The film was obviously culturally shot there, and in fact the landscape is a character in its own right,” explains Brendan Gleeson. “So it’s a very Irish film in many ways, but I hope it’s about things that are much more universal than just that. And I hope it goes beyond the very notion of Catholicism or any other established religion. I hope my people will enjoy this film without feeling the need to be Catholic to understand it.”
Having already won several awards in Ireland, Calvary promises to be a multi-faceted film, depicting a present-day Ireland plagued by uncertainty and mistrust.
Click here to discover the trailer (still in VO):
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