Cannes 21: Beautiful, Brave Benedetta

If you’re religious you may not want to see Benedetta. It’s shocking. But then again, if you’re religious perhaps you may want to see Benedetta… if you can overlook the shocking aspects and enjoy the over-riding film that is huge and brave and beautiful (with breathtaking artistic cinematography).

Playing at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Benedetta is the true story of a 17th Century nun who became entangled in a forbidden affair with another woman.

But it is not the lesbian affair that shocked the community at the time, but the shocking religious visions that Benedetta appeared to see, visions that threatened to shake the Church to its core.

The film, directed by Paul Verhoeven, requires that you leave any judgment at the door and simply watch the story unfold. It stars Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling and Daphne Patakia, amongst others.