Sicily, the present day. Veteran priest Father Cataldo is attempting to cast out a demon. Modern technology means that he no longer needs to be in the same room – his exorcism is conducted via mobile phone. But the demon is wearisome and particularly chatty. Father Cataldo involuntarily rolls his eyes as he tries to get a word in edgeways. It’s a scene that sums up the curious clash at the heart of this documentary about exorcisms and the Catholic church – baroque themes more suited to a horror flick rub shoulders with the sanitised efficiency of the modern world.
At an exorcism conference in Rome, priests chat over lunch in the canteen. One complains of being “bombarded by possessed people”. It’s almost funny, but director Federica Di Giacomo is careful that the genuine suffering of the people seeking help is never reduced to the status of freakshow entertainment.
