Grâce à Dieu at the Berlin film festival : Breathless abuse drama from François Ozon's in the competition News

It is a lot of talk, very much, and this must be so. It comes to words, to language. That cardinal Barbarin said in a press conference, thanks to God, the actions were time-barred – Grâce à Dieu, therefore, the title of the film. That is why, that barbarian and his predecessors of the Victims of innumerable Mails and letters received, and with friendly Promises answered. That the Church has not dismissed the perpetrator, father Bernard Preynat, in the 80s, in more than 70 cases of sexual abuse of underage boys are guilty of, from the priesthood, no proceedings against him initiated and dear son-in-law – even though they knew. Bible phrases like "Suffer the little children to me". To Reassurances such as "Everything has its time" or "Everybody has problems".

It is also a question of Tempo. François Ozon has quickly turned to keep up with events: male and female, and six other defendants are currently in Lyon before the court, due to non-display, that is to say: failure to provide assistance. The judgment should be spoken at the beginning of March. Usually, it is better if the cinema is time to the reality of dealing with it. But in this case, is already passed too much time, three decades, were not heard in those of the victims. "Grâce à Dieu" wireless has some Breath: debates, disputes, and successive meetings, to camps, quarries, interrogations, court scenes, flashbacks to the scout, and the other scenes follow in a matter of seconds.

The offender with clear name

A kind of triptych. Melvil Poupaud plays Alexandre, the faithful father of a family, the hopes first of all on the insight of Catholic institutions: images in light, shaded scenes – characterizes the semi-darkness of the Church, to clean up this first part. Then Denis Ménochet as impetuous Atheist François in the focus of the thunders of his anger into the drums – it is, as well as the images would be nervous. Swann Arlaud is embodied, finally, the bewildered Emmanuel, the childhood trauma has made a mess of his life – ozone-told in the sober tone of a social drama. The men set out in search of comrades in suffering, in Lyon, the Association "La parole libérée" (The liberated word), contact lawyers, bring the deeds to the display and the silent cartel.

more and more victims, their wives, children, parents come into view, also the psychologist of the diocese and the sheer amount of characters in this ensemble film makes the extent of the crimes is clear. Abuse in the Catholic Church, there are not isolated cases. And despite the six years ago, Pope Francis issued a Zero-tolerance, foreign exchange will be met with the tolerance of today, and trivialized.

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In the case of a victim to meet François proposes a media-oriented action, a plane of action with a giant phallus on the Cathedral of Lyon and the question: "What shocked you more, the Penis or a pedophile priest?" Nothing will come of it. One would hope that at least ozone had its protagonists a pair of strong film pictures as a gift, nothing eye-catching, but something that defies the semi-dark, the Omertà in a sustainable way.

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