NOMINATED FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
CORPUS CHRISTI, FROM DIRECTOR JAN KOMASA,
IS A STUNNING, INTENSE DRAMA ABOUT
RELIGION, FAITH AND REDEMPTION
“Original and absorbing. What is true faith and what’s fakery is a question that runs through Polish director Jan Komasa’s slow-burn drama Corpus Christi, its dark intensity channeled in a dynamically physical, wild-eyed performance from talented young lead Bartosz Bielenia. “
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“Jan Komasa’s CORPUS CHRISTI is a stunning Polish feature which has made waves at Venice and deserves further global recognition. Poland may have quite the strong Oscar contender with this film which shares the elegance, complexity and layered narrative approach as Oscar favorites THE HUNT (Denmark) and LOVELESS (Russia). A story that packs an emotional punch while offering fresh themes and interesting perspectives on religion and faith, this is a striking feature that is impressive in every sense of the word and one of the year’s best directed films – foreign or otherwise.”
— Mina Takla, AwardsWatch
SYNOPSIS
Anchored by a “dynamically physical, wild-eyed performance” (The Hollywood Reporter) from newcomer Bartosz Bielenia, CORPUS CHRISTI is an incisive, darkly humorous, and “engrossing exploration of faith, second chances and the possibility of atonement” (Screen).
After spending years in a Warsaw prison for a violent crime, 20-year-old Daniel is released and sent to a remote village to work as a manual laborer. The job is designed to keep the ex-con busy, but Daniel has a higher calling. Over the course of his incarceration he has found Christ, and aspires to join the clergy – but his criminal record means no seminary will accept him. When Daniel arrives in town, one quick lie allows him to be mistaken for the town’s new priest, and he sets about leading his newfound flock. Though he has no training, his passion and charisma inspire the community. At the same time, his unconventional sermons and unpriestly behavior raise suspicions among some of the townsfolk – even more so as he edges towards a dark secret that the community hasn’t revealed in the confessional booth.
