BENEDETTA having sparked protests outside its premiere at the New York Film Festival, the Queer Palm nominated film has quickly become one of the most anticipated and controversial releases of the year.

Featuring remarkable performances from acclaimed Belgian actress Virginie Efira (Sibyl, Bye Bye Morons, Elle) and British screen legend Charlotte Rampling, Paul Verhoeven’s highly entertaining 17th-century convent romp will be playing in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 10.

In the late 17th century, with the plague ravaging the land, a young girl named Benedetta Carlini joins a convent in Pescia, Tuscany. Seemingly capable of performing miracles and having visions of Jesus Christ from an early age, Benedetta’s impact on the community and convent is immediate and profound, but some question the legitimacy of her claims.

With Benedetta’s position within the convent rising, it is not until the arrival of a new nun, the young and rebellious Bartolomea that her faith is truly questioned.

Based on Judith C. Brown’s book, Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, Paul Verhoeven’s sophisticated and highly entertaining new film contains everything we have come to expect from the master director.

A huge talking point at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Paul Verhoeven’s raucous genre-bending period piece BENEDETTA has quickly become one of the most anticipated films of the year.

In Cinemas February 10, 2022