Is there an exorcist in the house?

Awarded the Golden Lion in the Orizzonti section of the 73rd Venice Film Festival, Federica Di Giacomo’s 2016 “Liberami” (Deliver Us) has become one of the most talked about documentaries of recent years.

It is a film about the practice of exorcism that explores the contrasts between ancient traditions and modern challenges. Di Giacomo tells the story with a hint of comedy, but that lightheartedness is overshadowed by the profound suffering of people desperately searching for answers.

Her third feature film after having made several shorts, “Liberami” put Di Giacomo on the map. After its award-winning debut in Venice, it went on to garner accolades around the world.

The Catholic Church has long trained exorcist priests to respond to the phenomenon of demonic possession. One of them is Fr. Cataldo, whom the film follows along with those who attend his masses in search of a cure for their inner demons.

The film opens with a woman sitting on a chair in a chapel as Fr. Cataldo anoints her with holy water. He then puts his hand on her head and prays. The woman immediately begins to scream obscenities in the voice of Satan. “Leave me alone. She’s mine now. Leave me alone,” she yells.

Father Cataldo then visits a church in Palermo, where a long line of people wait to see him. Many are turned away and will have to come back the next day. When they get their chance to speak with him, they talk to him like they would to a psychologist rather than a priest. They blame their misfortunes on Satan. In some cases, Fr. Cataldo agrees. In the case of one depressed housewife, he tells her that her problem is more likely psychological than spiritual. He asks a man convinced his bad luck is spiritual, “Did you try to live in the grace of God at least when you could?” The man replies, “I try, Father, but it’s hard.”

Later, the priest visits a woman with a nagging cough. He sits with her and her family. The woman is fidgeting and clearly uneasy. As he starts to pray with them, the woman becomes more uneasy. As he puts his hand on her head, she begins to lose control. The family members gather around her and try to keep her still. She falls to the floor, and he anoints her with holy water. She weeps, they all say a Hail Mary and she appears to be healed.

Fr. Cataldo then holds a public mass for these people, and during his exhortation to Satan to leave them alone, a boy breaks into an outburst and the priest speaks directly to the demon within. “Go away Satan.” The boy then screams uncontrollably. Father Cataldo responds, “Be quiet. It’s God ordering you to leave.” The yelling continues. “Get the cross,” says the priest. A cross is held over the boy while Fr. Cataldo continues to drive the devil away. The outburst spreads, and some are forced to retreat to a designated room where they are all trying to regain their composure. At times, it’s difficult to watch. Whatever is causing these people to lose control, they are undoubtedly suffering very much.

During an interview at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, where Di Giacomo presented the film in 2017, she commented on the atmosphere of the film. It seems to capture “Sicily of another era,” she said, and yet the subject of exorcism is quite relevant today. “The phenomenon is really contemporary. The film is about the future more than the past. This is a growing phenomenon, and it is something that is becoming bigger.”

“Deliver Us” is available on several streaming platforms including Tubi, Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video via Freevee, Vudu and Google Play Movies & TV. Di Giacomo’s latest film, “Il palazzo” (Unfinished), had its North American premiere earlier this year at Lincoln Center’s annual series Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. We’ll keep you posted on its stateside distribution.

-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the November 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Comments

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

The Extraordinary Career and Legacy of Dino De Laurentiis

Producer Dino De Laurentiis was one of the most prolific filmmakers ever, having produced or co-produced more than 600 films during a career that spanned seven decades. His legacy continues not only through the work of his children and grandchildren but also through a new generation of filmmakers in his Italian hometown. De Laurentiis was born in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius on Aug. 8, 1919, in the city of Torre Annunziata, located just minutes from the ruins of Pompeii. As a child, he worked at a local pasta factory owned and operated by his father. That experience had a profound effect on him, shaping a lifelong passion for food and an appreciation for business. At the age of 17, he decided to leave home for the big city. He arrived in Rome and enrolled in the prestigious film school, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. After attending the school for about a year, he managed to produce one film in 1940, The Last Combat , before having to leave Rome temporarily for m...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

The Sweetness and Genius of Giulietta Masina

Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration. Nicknamed a “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as the actress who moved him most, Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times. Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...

A Conversation with Actor Mirko Frezza of David di Donatello Winner "Il più grande sogno"

The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema. I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees. Among my personal favorites is Michele Vannucci's Il più grande sogno simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew t...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog