Deliver Us aka Libera Nos is a 2016 Italian documentary by Federica Di Giacomo.
Claims of Satanic possession are increasing around the world. In meeting the demands of those desperately seeking help, the Catholic Church responds with the solution they’ve employed for centuries: exorcisms.
A new wave of exorcist priests is being trained, while veteran Sicilian priest Father Cataldo maintains his stern, diligent practice of the controversial method. His weekly mass is filled with those seeking a cure for the demons they feel they have within them. They cling to the power of their faith as the ultimate source of inner peace but whatever the root of their anguish, it’s evident many are suffering.
It’s here that you start to see the true cost of deliverance. As priests attempt to cast Satan back down, the business of exorcism continues to rise…
Reviews:
“The camerawork by Greta De Lazzaris and Carlo Sisalli is incredibly unobtrusive, but Liberami is not content to only observe the people around: Di Giacomo succeeds in showing not only the priests’ actions, but also the deepest concerns of those treated by them. Intimate conversations bring context and feeling to an already touching situation.” Stefan Dobroiu Cineuropa
“Visually, the style is flexible, well-composed when possible but often most preoccupied with getting close enough to the action, and if that means bringing the camera down to the floor as a woman writhes about, so be it. There is a repetitiveness to certain scenes, and some audiences will likely find elements exploitative, though the real exploitation comes from the priests, with their mumbo-jumbo about possession when what their duped parishioners really need is therapy and meds.” Jay Weissberg, Variety
“As deftly and elegantly spliced together by editors Aline Hervè and Edoardo Morabito, Liberami moves between moments which are equally revelatory, absurd, thought-provoking and moving. When it’s not sharing private chats between priests, including at a conference for exorcists in Rome, it’s capturing the unguarded emotions of those requesting their help.” Sarah Ward, Screen Daily
Filming locations:
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Trivia:
The film was originally titled Liberaci dal male and then Liberami.
