Twist of Faith
Sometimes Hell is right here on Earth.
From acclaimed director Kirby Dick (Sick, Derrida), this Academy Award-nominated and Sundance-selected feature documentary tells the deeply personal story of a man who confronts the trauma of past sexual abuse by a local priest, only to find his decision shatters his relationships with his family, community and faith.
Member Reviews
Engrossing, honest, frustrating - judith_in_ottawa
Given some of the really negative reviews, I thought that I wouldn't like this film, and expected not to even finish it. And yet I found myself engrossed.
The film is an honest portrayal of how difficult it is to deal with sexual abuse, and later with lies, by people within a faith that was and still is part of your support system.
This man is tortured by the abuse he experienced at the hands of a priest. It affects his sleep, his marriage, his relationship with his kids. He agonizes over whether to allow his 6 year old daughter to take communion. And he can't find a way to move beyond it.
Canon Law allows priests to lie to protect the Church. (Did you know that?) And the abused person feels even more betrayed when lied to.
Unlike other reviewers, I saw a clear narrative line through the documentary. It's also frustrating to watch; it moves slowly, and the man is clearly stuck. Unlike fiction, there is no tidy resolution. It's also frustrating to see the pedophile priest and how little he admits.
I think people who've been abused, and their friends and families, would like this film. It's not easy, and it's not quick, but you do get a sense of the reality of abuse and how it persists into the future, and affects everyone around you.A very personal documentary! - Cricri7
Twist of faith is the story of a man who was abused during his teenage years by a Catholice priest. He made a documentary relating the story of his abuse by talking to a video camera he had in his possession. It is not a documentary with a narrator that asks questions and leads the subject somewhere. This is why the documentary has faults because the man and his wife simply talk about what they want in the camera. This is why it is not the greatest documentary because it goes in every direction and doesn't follow any guide lines.
Some people see it as voyeuristic, but I only see it as a man who doesn't know differently and wants to go through this pain he has since childhood. Some people go inward and other people choose the other route and decide to tell anyone they can about the abuse they lived through. I don't think we can judge these people because we all react differently through the events we live through in our lives. It may not be the best documentary but it shows you what sexual abuse can do to people and their families.
Some may see itVoyeuristic and Exploitive. - cathyottawa
I think the best way I can describe this documentary is, it's like watching a lowbrow talk show, like Jenny Jones or Rikki Lake, without the audience or host.
This follows the story of a man, Tony, who moves into his dream home with his young family, only to discover that the Catholic Priest who molested him as a teenager lives 5 doors down.
It's just strange. It seems like, when they found out, instead of moving, or seeking therapy, or whatever, they said, "hey, lets make a documentary about this".
What follows are alot of confessionals to the camera, by the victim, his wife, and other victims. The things Tony and his wife say to the camera are things they should be saying in therapy. I don't think the camera man was a psychiatrist, so it just all felt ... wrong - Like I was watching something so private.
And some of it was just so staged. Like when they take a trip to the house he was abused in, or when they decide to tell their very young daughter that her father had been abused ("a man touched my penis when I was your age"), and to stay away from the evil man down the street. I could practically hear psychiatrists everywhere screaming at the TV "what the heck are you doing?".
I can't believe this was nominated for an Oscar.
Member Reviews
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Engrossing, honest, frustrating - judith_in_ottawa
Given some of the really negative reviews, I thought that I wouldn't like this film, and expected not to even finish it. And yet I found myself engrossed.
The film is an honest portrayal of how difficult it is to deal with sexual abuse, and later with ...A very personal documentary! - Cricri7
Twist of faith is the story of a man who was abused during his teenage years by a Catholice priest. He made a documentary relating the story of his abuse by talking to a video camera he had in his possession. It is not a documentary with a narrator that asks ...Voyeuristic and Exploitive. - cathyottawa
I think the best way I can describe this documentary is, it's like watching a lowbrow talk show, like Jenny Jones or Rikki Lake, without the audience or host.
This follows the story of a man, Tony, who moves into his dream home with his young family, ...