Shellac to Launch Global Sales of Catholic Church Sex Abuse Documentary ‘The Deposition’ at Locarno (EXCLUSIVE)
French sales and distribution company Shellac will launch international sales for the upcoming Catholic Church sexual abuse documentary “The Deposition” at Locarno before releasing the film in France this October. Accompanying the announcement, Variety has been given exclusive access to the film’s trailer, seen above.
“The Deposition” is the story of a young boy named Emmanuel who, in 1993, told his parents that he was molested by a popular new priest in the village named Hubert. At the time, his parents chose to keep the boy’s allegations a secret.
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Thirty years later, Emmanuel’s father, Robert, can no longer bear the guilt and confronts Hubert, who denies everything. Several months later, after speaking with a government-commissioned report on sexual violence within the Catholic Church, Emmanuel is encouraged to share his story with the authorities.
For over three hours, Emmanual shares his account with the local police, recording the entire encounter on his phone. That recording is the foundation on which “The Deposition” was built.
According to director Claudia Marschal, the film gives voice to countless others who were silenced when they tried to discuss their own traumas. “Women and men spoke out before #MeToo but weren’t heard. ‘The Deposition’ recounts the story of a young boy who spoke to his parents in the ’90s, but he was silenced. Thirty years later, in a society that seems more inclined to listen, we hear him file a complaint for the first time.”
According to the film’s producer Pierre-Olivier Bardet, “Claudia’s subtle and necessary second feature is not judgmental nor does it denounce. With the accuracy of a testimony recorded on the spot, the film follows step by step the deposition of Manu, abused by a Catholic priest in his youth. Ozon’s ‘By the Grace of God’ finds here its documentary counterpart and Manu’s story unveils the whole perverse mechanism of the abuse.”
Speaking with Variety, Thomas Ordonneau, Founder & CEO of Shellac explained why his company felt the need to get “The Deposition” in front of French audiences.
“We are honored to collaborate with Claudia Marschal and Pierre-Olivier Bardet and to handle international sales of this powerful documentary. In recent years, we’ve been witnessing a relieving movement of freeing the voices of those who suffered abuses within the Catholic Church,” he explained. “In films, it has mostly been dealt with through fiction, notably with ‘Spotlight’ or more recently Ozon’s ‘In the Grace of God,’ but very few documentaries have addressed this issue, especially with such remarkable grace and attentiveness.
“The intimate testimony of the sexual abuse is also a profound and political reflection of the changes our society still crucially needs. We are convinced we will find the right partners in the key territories to bring this touching and urgent film to audiences worldwide,” he added.
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