Grâce à Dieu (French) [By The Grace Of God]

There are plenty of films that I have already seen which talk about a few church priests taking advantage of young boys and the aftermath of that many years later. This subject has been presented in movies format, short films and commentaries. But sadly there are so many cases all around this subject, that I keep finding out about more and more new stuff. This is one such film that chooses to describe itself as a fiction based on known facts. It shows how grown men who had been abused by Father Preynat as young boys courageously decided to take action by bringing charges. The scale of the abuse is staggering, and there’s an explanation; the Church knew of the abuse and rather than stop it, they covered it up, allowing it to continue.

The film is almost episodic where it focuses on three of its central characters, who are introduced to us through their distinctive narratives. The first is Alexandre, a well-to-do media advisor with five kids, a wife, and a beautiful home. He’s only recently gotten the courage to reveal his abuse due to one of his close friends confessing he was touched by Cardinal Preynat back when they went to youth camp. After meeting with the Cardinal Barbarian, who was in charge at the time of the abuse - the cardinal schedules a confrontation with Alexandre’s abuser, where he confesses to the abuse. He almost forgives him but somehow is still very broken. Soon the story starts to spread and we meet Francois. He’s given a new sense of purpose as he hears that Alexandre came forward but took no legal action. The film smartly shows him as the impromptu leader who begins to rally against the abuse and builds momentum toward leveling legal actions against the church for not taking any responsibility in harboring a priest who moved with impunity for three decades. Thanks to his work and actions, almost fifty other men step forward and admit to being abused by Preynat. Finally we meet Emmanuel, who is the most clearly afflicted and angry. He’s always drinking, he’s hot-tempered and cannot connect with other people. Having little to no meaningful relationships now because of the trauma endured he still lives at home with his mother. The film doesnt really have a proper conclusion but it just shows how Preynat is charged and eventually Barbarian has to do a press conference to address the issue. The subjects get a closure of sorts.

The film weaves these three characters together like a track runner, passing the baton off without hitting a misstep or breaking the rhythm. The narrative surrounding the scandal unfolds organically and never feels like it's rushing in the information. A lot of details are shown for these individuals, their current story, story of their abuse, how they told their parents, what actions are taken and how they are still worried about what society would say! Although the film never suggests that any of the victim’s scars can ever completely disappear, the self-possession that these men gain as they tell their stories and seek retribution for their abusers begins to fill a void that has plagued them since childhood, and a certain kind of grace begins to bloom for them all. There are plenty of disturbing flashbacks and maddening bureaucratic roadblocks, but the film never sensationalizes those. Instead it remains strictly focused on the growing strength of the wounded human beings at the center of the story. The film is not an east watch, but it makes you wonder about the lifelong suffering of the abused. The film might not have much new to say about the discourse of sexual misconduct but t does a good job of emphasizing the importance of speaking up. The film is long and a bit slow and will need patience but a subject like this treats to be tackled with maturity and sensitivity, which this film does. (6.5/10)