The confrontation nowadays follows three adult men: Alexandre, François and Gilles. These three wounded souls learn that the priest who molested them in their childhood still works with the children and did not even receive any warnings from the church. Inspired by a real case and praised as one of Ozone’s best films, Confrontation deals with trauma and courage meticulously and with great precision.
Francois Ozon’s gripping drama follows three men who band together to dismantle the code of silence that continues to protect a priest who abused them decades ago. Based on events from the 2019 conviction of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon for concealing the conduct of Father Bernard Preynat, BY THE GRACE OF GOD compassionately illustrates the varying effects of trauma on survivors and their families in this urgent portrait of resistance, the power of mobilization, and the mysteries of faith.
Grâce à Dieu (English: By the Grace of God) is a 2019 French-Belgian drama film directed by François Ozon. It won the Jury Grand Prix at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. Principal photography on the film began on February 12, 2018 and lasted till April 13, 2018 in Paris, France and Belgium.
Film Review: Grâce à Dieu
In 2015, there were two films on the same subject. One is The Club and the other is Spotlight. The Club pedophile, one of the rarest examples of Chilean cinema, depicted the exile life of the priests, the retreat of a man who was harassed and their retreat was another dimension! Spotlight, as a journalistic success, aimed at pedophile priests and, of course, their churches protecting them! Both of them were successful and they were the films that claimed the subject.
Religion is still a taboo, the clergy have immunity, but the lives of the children they touch are unbelievable tragedies. And these are sometimes reflected in the press, reactions are put forward, but children have to deal with this event that darkens their lives. François Ozon tells the story of children who were sexually abused by Bernard Preynat in Lyon, France between 1986-1991.
Of course, when they grew up and became adults. Because they all grew up with repressed embarrassment, mingled with life, built nests, had children, but the horrors of that abuse lived deeply for years. Under the control of the pastor, the pastor who abuses the boys delivered to him in a summer camp, or in his room, fully accepts his actions! I think he feels his guilt and sin lighten as he admits. The event starts with Alaxendre, and when the priest Preynat is still on duty and working with children, he opens a case to question the church’s viewpoint, its sensitivity to these events, and reaches other victims.
The church accepts the charges, but no action! Then François and Emmanuel step in, they are young men who have been harassed by the same priest in the same years! Emmanuel has not been able to recover his life, he has questioned himself, his masculinity and even the shape of his genitals! François is the hottest, the toughest. It is even possible to say that he received the flag from Alexendre! Reverend Preynat’s mood is really interesting! The children of that time still deal with the elders now treat them like children, as if they cannot admit that they are adults! That’s enough to annoy them and their lawyers.
The subject is handled with great seriousness, almost like a documentary, the subject gives birth to human beings. In fact, it was thought that the subject should be documented first, but Ozone thought that he could put the issue better in fiction and he was attracted. He did very well. Spotlight was one of the films with the same seriousness as a documentary and he was telling his troubles in a tidy way! I think that although the real events deviate from the fiction, the documentary effects continue, or the directors are working hard to maintain that effect.
The film does not miss the friendship, solidarity and sharing established among the victims. Perhaps this is one of the most important aspects! We witness the explosion of a situation that the child threw into it, which he could not express even if he told his parents. The film offers a suggestion on how effective and important it is to take a step, a step! And underlines that no matter what happens, one has to settle with shame. A film about the life of a priest whose trial is still ongoing leşme Confrontation…
Inevitably, when you watch the film, you turn to your home country, child abuse is very much, pedophile cases are experienced too much. But we can’t see them in the cinema, our directors are shy about it. In fact, there was a film called Deep Thought competing in the 50th Antalya Golden Orange.
It was a film focusing on the incest relationship between the family, but he was reacted because he could not fully explain his problem. The carousel also described the incestuous relationship. But I do not remember a film about the abuse, pedophile cases waiting for the child outside the house in trustworthy institutions. Confrontation is important in this sense; In every field, we should face such cases.
Grâce à Dieu (2019)
Directed by: François Ozon
Starring: Melvil Poupaud, Denis Ménochet, Swann Arlaud, Éric Caravaca, François Marthouret, Bernard Verley, Josiane Balasko, Martine Erhel, Hélène Vincent, Amélie Daure
Screenplay by: François Ozon
Prduction Design by: Emmanuelle Duplay
Cinematography by: Manuel Dacosse
Film Editing by: Laure Gardette
Costume Design by: Pascaline Chavanne
Set Decoration by: Philippe Cord’homme
Music by: Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Music Box Films
Release Date: October 18, 2019
Visits: 45
