IN THE NAME OF…/ W IMIE…

Poland, 2013, 96 minutes, Colour.
Andrzej Chyra, Lukasz Simlat.
Directed by Malgoska Szumowska.

The title introduces religious and Catholic themes of faith. It is the story of a priest, vocation, commitment, ministry, struggles, crisis, decisions.

This time the priest is homosexual in orientation. The notes for the 2013 Berlinale catalog refers to this ‘still taboo’ topic. The writers of these notes must be living in a movie cocoon world, not reading papers, listening to radio or watching television reports, or are aware of open discussions (and within the Church) on this topic for years.

In fact, the Antonia bird-directed, Jimmy McGovern-written? film, Priest, screened in the Berlinale Panorama section eighteen years earlier, in 1995. Not new. Not taboo.

The celibacy discussion needs to continue, of course. Significantly, the final scene here is set in a seminary, seminarians in cassocks, walking and talking in the grounds. One seminarian (in the present, or a flashback to Adam’s seminary days), stares away from the group… towards another seminarian? The question is whether the priesthood is a graced call and can be lived with struggle and urges sublimated and needs profound discernment information years, before commitment. Priesthood is not an escape from facing any problems of sexuality.

Adam (a persuasive performance from Andrzej Chyra) is an interesting priest from the beginning of the film. In a heartfelt sermon he tells his congregation that he was 21, not practising his faith, when he had a deep experience of his dead father’s presence and that he discovered a place in his soul for God.

Rugged, a constant jogger (he says running is prayer), he works with a group of disturbed youth, labouring with them, refereeing sport, swimming, meals, with the assistance of his friend, Michael, whose bored wife comes on to Adam. He is Adam. She is Eve, the temptress.

The director, female, Malgoska Szumowska, includes a great deal of potentially homoerotic scenes of the young men, shirtless at work, at soccer, swimming etc. This prepares the audience for some homoerotic activity by the young men as well as a focus on a neighbor, a young man, Lukasz, who is devoted to Adam and defends him.

The priest struggles, lonely nights, masturbation, drinking. A desperate Skype called to his sister in Toronto, pouring out his desolation, his sexual needs, even someone to hug, is a very moving scene.

The homosexual orientation of Adam is suggested only in the last forty minutes and then made clear. He is reported by Michael to the bishop (a very old fashioned scene and episcopal manner). Adam has been transferred several times but the bishop says he does not want to sweep any dirt under the carpet. However, he does transfer Adam. Past incidents and the suicide of a young man, seeming to tell against him, had nothing actually to do with Adam, as the audience knows. However, it does bring matters to a head. He is good at priestly ministry but that is not enough.

Celibacy and the struggle have been a constant problem for priests, heterosexual or homosexual, since the beginning of the exodus of clergy and religious in the late 1960s.

As noted, the film, Priest raised questions and debates in 1995. It would seem that the issue still needs some exploration, especially in countries of Central Europe.

1. A Polish story? The Catholic church in Poland? Church issues? Priesthood? Celibacy? Universal issues?

2. The Polish locations, rural, outside the cities, youth centre, the buildings, the church, the building sites, farms, the countryside? The contrast with the cathedral, the bishop? The lavish procession? Mass, sermons, communion, confessions? The particularly catholic atmosphere?

3. The issues of priesthood in the 21st century? Adam and his sermon, vocation, ministry, the range of works in ministry, social work, religious work, celibacy and reality? The final sequence in the seminary and the point that priesthood was not a place to escape to with problems of sexuality?

4. The portrait of Adam as a priest? Seeing him first in secular clothes? Sport, work, with the boys? Jogging? Meals, saying grace, discipline in the house? Celebrating mass, sermon? At the party, the dancing, Eva and the invitation? His response, dancing? Her coming to make an apology? Her attraction to Adam? Bringing the food? Going into his room? Taking off her top? Questioning him? The routines of the day? The hard work with the boys? Michael and his assistance? Adam and his hearing confessions, suggesting running as a penance, as a prayer?

5. The opening, the credits, the voices, the group of boys, the retarded boy, the bullying, the naming, Jew, harsh?

6. The boys with the shirts off? Homoerotic suggestions? At work, in the dormitory, swimming, the rescuing of Lukasz, the talks?

7. Lukasz’s family, the retarded boy and his looking after him, the young boy and his crushing the snails, the severe mother, unwilling to help the epileptic girl, Lukasz giving his pullover? The mother and her severity in the house, at meals? Lukasz and his shirt, fighting, his injuries? Adam tending them? On the couch, sleeping the night? Lukasz and his going for a swim, naked, asking Adam to teach him how to swim? The lesson? His running into the corn, the ape sounds, primitive mating sounds?

8. The boys talking, swearing, smut, leering? The drugs, the drinking, mockery? The arrival of Blondie? The boy wanting to confess, his embarrassment about his sexual behavior, what others would think? Adam giving him running as his penance, prayer? The disappearance of the boy, the suicide, funeral?

9. Blondie, smug, sexual behavior, Adam seeing him and the boy, Adam confronting him, Blondie telling the boys that Adam was homosexual? Lukasz and his fighting, his injuries?

10. Adam, his drinking, frustration, his looking at the boys, the bath, the masturbation? Sleepless nights? The later episode, cooking, dancing with the picture of the pope? Collapse?

11. Michael and his work, stern character? Helping with the soccer? Marriage to Eva, time in the seminary, falling in love, leaving? His explanation to the bishop, confessing to Adam, the final embrace?

12. Adam, the drinking,contacting his sister? His previous attempt, and going to the cathedral for confession, the cleaning lady? The touch of bureaucracy and the potential to destroy Adam?

13. Adam’s frankness with his sister, the memories of the past, attraction to women or not? His needs? The need for a hug?

14. His being transferred? Response of the bishop? The arrival of the replacement? His packing, leaving? Passing Lukasz? Driving on? His destination, alone, desolate?

15. Lukasz and his family, packing, the train, arriving in the rain, going into the house with Adam the ? The possibility for Adam to stay as a priest, coping with his problems? The sequence of the elaborate procession and his presence? The whole town?

16.The role of authorities, the lack of support for priests in crisis? The issue of the seminary and discernment?