Mystery film ”The Monk” (Le Moine) directed by Dominik Moll will be shown to Sarajevo audience from 24 to 26 January at 8 p.m. in the Meeting Point Cinema.
The Monk is a 2011 French-Spanish thriller directed by Dominik Moll. It is an adaptation of Matthew Lewis’ gothic novel of the same name.
It chronicles the story of a Capucin Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel), a well-respected monk in Spain and his downfall. It was released in France on 13 July 2011. An abandoned baby is taken in by a Spanish monastery, and raised as a monk, christened Capuchin Ambrosio.An exceptional preacher, Ambrosio is respected by all. One day a masked figure by the name of Valerio arives at the monastery with his godfather, explaining the mask as necessary due to terrible burns inflicted on him in a fire that killed his parents. He expresses a desire to join the monastery which is initially shunned by several of the monks; however Ambrosio convinces them to not fear his differences, and to accept him. Valerio later reveals to Ambrosio that he is actually a woman by the name of Matilda, and Ambrosio orders her to leave. As a last request she asks for a rose from his rose garden, and upon reaching in to pluck one for her, Ambrosio is bitten by a giant centipede. As he becomes delirious from the effects of the venom, he is seduced by Matilda and compromises his faith. Driven by a carnal lust for Matilda, Ambrosio transgresses and he is soon found desiring another, the innocent Antonia. Matilda uses magic spells to help the monk in his pursuit of Antonia, whose rape by him leads to her insanity. It later emerges that Matilda is an instrument of Satan in female form. The focus is also on Antonia’s previous relationship with Lorenzo, whose sister is tortured by hypocritical nuns for her own relationship. Returning to Ambrosio, he is delivered to the Inquisition; escaping only by selling his soul to the devil. The devil prevents Ambrosio’s final repentance, and informs Ambrosio that Antonia is the monk’s sister.
Stars: Vincent Cassel, Déborah François and Joséphine Japy
