“We have never seen anything like this before,” Belarusian media write about the undisputed hit of the Minsk International Film Festival Listapad. The film Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa won three awards at the 26th MIFF, including the Audience Award. In Minsk the long-awaited film about a young priest will be released on January 16. The Polish film from the Oscar Shortlist will be screened in four cinemas. The film will be shown within Listapad. Collections in Polish with Russian subtitles.
Corpus Christi is the story of a 20-year-old Daniel who experiences a spiritual transformation while living in a Youth Detention Center. He wants to become a priest but this is impossible because of his criminal record. When he is sent to work at a carpenter’s workshop in a small town, on arrival he dresses up as a priest and accidentally takes over the local parish. The arrival of the young, charismatic preacher is an opportunity for the local community to begin the healing process after a tragedy that happened there.
The world premiere of Jan Komasa’s film was held at the Venice Film Festival, where the film was awarded the Label Europa Cinemas Award and the Edipo Re Inclusion Award. In Minsk, the drama took part in the main feature film competition of MIFF Listapad. The film was an incredible success: Corpus Christi (originally Boze Cialo) won Best Director Award, Special Jury Prize and the Audience Award. The film won ten awards at the 44th Gdynia Film Festival, including Best Director, Best Script and Audience Award.
Jan Komasa, best known for the thriller Suicide Room (2011), created Corpus Christi on the basis of a true story: 19-year-old Polish guy Patrick was pretending to be a priest in a small town for three months. This inspired Mateusz Patsevich first to write an article, and then the film script.
“It was quite a challenge, both when it comes to the script and direction. One thing that helped us was that people always tend to forgive the young – newly minted priests often have these very “subversive” ideas, they try to incorporate contemporary music or singing. He is a young man with a fresh take on things. There are many people who try to do it and fail, but he really has this “divine spark” about him. Suddenly, in the spur of the moment, he is able to find just the right words. When we were looking for the right actor, we knew it has to be someone who is slightly different and Bartosz Bielenia emanates it very well. Because Daniel is no ordinary boy – he is special”, Jan Komasa said.
“Komasa makes a clerical and anti-clerical drama of such depth and ambiguity that the film is compared to Keselowski’s psychological parabolas (Three Colors)”, Novaya Gazeta writes. “A smart and provocative film that alternately fascinates and unsettles,” – notes Ukrinform. “Original and exciting experience,” Hollywood Reporter writes.
Corpus Christi will be shown in Mir cinema and Silver Screen Galileo from 16 to 22 January, and in Pioner cinema and Falcon Club Boutique Cinema to January 29.