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(BANDE ANNONCE)

With By the Grace of God, his deliberate homage to Spotlight, the versatile François Ozon (Double Lover – SFFF 2018, Frantz – MiniFest 2016, Young & Beautiful – SFFF 2014, In the House – SFFF 2013) helms a gripping dramatization of a child sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in France. The film tells the story of three survivors, now adult men, each of whom plays an important role in holding to account Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, accused of covering up the abuse committed by a priest in his diocese for more than 30 years.

Alexandre (Melvil Poupaud) lives in Lyon with his wife and children. One day he learns by chance that Bernard Preynat (Bernard Verley), the priest who abused him when he was a boy scout, is still working with children. Unable to remain silent any longer, the still-devout Alexandre formally takes his case all the way up to Cardinal Barbarin (François Marthouret), who professes ignorance and outrage over Preynat’s crimes, but does little about it. Also compelled to come forward is François (Denis Ménochet, Custody – SFFF 2018), now an atheist, who wants to publicly wreak havoc on the Church. News of their fight finally reaches Emmanuel (Swann Arlaud, Bloody Milk – SFFF 2018, A Woman’s Life - SFFF 2017), who, unlike the other two, has never managed to put the trauma behind him. With the help of another survivor, Gilles (Eric Caravaca), the men decide to “lift the burden of silence” on their ordeal.

Ozon changed the last names of the survivors, but By the Grace of God is based on real testimonies. The Catholic Church unsuccessfully tried to block the release of the film in France in the midst of Cardinal Barbarin's trial. In March 2019, Barbarin received a six month conditional sentence for "non-disclosure of sexual abuse,” and has concurrently resigned from the Church.

Fun fact: English subtitles by Sacramento native and Ozon's official interpreter, Sionann O'Neill, who attended the 2018 SFFF!

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