IFC Films has released the official trailer for Benedetta, the latest work from Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, RoboCop and Elle). You can watch the trailer using the player below and you’ll find lots more photos underneath.
Benedetta is scheduled to open in select theaters on Friday, December 3 and will be available on VOD Tuesday, December 21. The movie has a runtime of 131 minutes and is in French with English subtitles.
Virginie Efira (Sibyl) stars as Benedetta, a historical figure whose extraordinary story was captured in Judith C. Brown’s book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. Efira’s performance tows the line between saint and sinner – is she a power-hungry fraud or the true vessel of God?
Veterans Charlotte Rampling and Lambert Wilson lead a charismatic cast of characters trying to figure out just that, and a radiant Daphne Patakia co-stars as Bartolomea, the object of Benedetta’s desire.
Benedetta ignited a flurry of buzz around its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film was also an official selection at the New York Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival.
Directed by Verhoeven, the movie’s screenplay was written by Verhoeven and David Birke (Elle). The producers include Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt, and Jerome Seydoux.
The film stars Virginie Efira, Daphne Patakia, Lambert Wilson (The Matrix series), Charlotte Rampling, Olivier Rabourdin, and Herve Pierre.
The movie carries the following official synopsis: “A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.”
The film has a score of 85% Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes, where they state: “Precariously walking a tightrope of varying genres and tones, Benedetta provokes salient questions about sexual freedom and its relationship to faith.”
Are you looking forward to seeing the film? What do you think about the trailer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
