The Devil in the Holy Water

The Devil in the Holy Water
a film by Joe Balass

The time – the outset of a new millennium.

The place – Rome, the eternal city, sacred and profane.

Two events collide. While Catholics converge for the Jubilee, the most important Church pilgrimage in modern times, thousands of gays and lesbians from around the planet gather for the first international Gay Pride Celebration.

Are you ready?

Filmmaker Joe Balass is there – The Devil in the Holy Water is his vibrant document of that moment. Critical and joyous, entertaining and thought-provoking, The Devil in the Holy Water goes to the epicentre of Catholic culture to get a reading on contemporary sexuality and morality. While the Vatican opposes World Pride, drawing upon its considerable influence to try to stop the event, Italians themselves send a more complex, and ultimately tolerant, message. The opening of the monumental holy doors at Saint Peter’s inaugurates the Jubilee, while debate rages through the ancient city. Vatican kingmaker, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, finally concedes to an interview, while Imma Battaglia, a tempestuous Joan of Arc for our times, fearlessly spearheads the fight for gay visibility.

The music of Domenico Modugno sets the tone, and Balass takes to the streets, framing his interviews with astutely selected archival images, a gay priest speaking publicly at a 1982 demo, the first Italian gay marriage in 1992, and the Pope attacking homosexuals in 1994.

As the World Pride controversy heats up, the filmmaker encounters practical-minded grandmothers and rigid young neo-fascists, self-effacing nuns and ebullient drag queens. Pilgrims seeking absolution from sins, along with Emiliano and Pier Paolo, a couple of young guys who wander though the proceedings, just looking for a little fun.

The result is a candid, enlightening and often humorous, feature-length documentary. The Devil in the Holy Water captures two historic events as they intersect, highlighting a city and a culture in dynamic transition.


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January 19-20, 2002
PHOTO OF DRESS BRUSSELS LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL
Monday, February 4, 2002 7:15 pm
Capital 6 cinema 1
VICTORIA INDEPENDENT FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL

Wednesday, February 20, 2002, 7:15 pm
Cinémathèque Québécoise
RENDEZ-VOUS DU CINÉMA QUÉBÉCOIS

MONTRÉAL THEATRICAL RUN
English version

2 aprile, ore 21.00
MILANO – CINEMA ANTEO

4 aprile, ore 21.00
ROMA – CINEMA NUOVO OLIMPIA

Sunday, April 7 20.30 nft 3
LONDON LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

Venerdì 10 maggio
CINEMAARTE VENICE PRIDE FILM FESTIVAL

Lunedì 3 giugno ore 14.00
MILAN LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

Sunday June 9th at 6:30pm
Friday June 14th at 4:30pm
SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Friday June 21st at 3:30pm

Castro Theatre
SAN FRANCISCO LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

Sunday July 14, 3:00pm
DGA Video Room
Friday July 19, 3:00pm
Village Cinema
OUTFEST: LOS ANGELES LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

August 14 at 7:00pm
Cinemark Tinseltown
OUT ON SCREEN, VANCOUVER LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

Sunday, September 8 at 1:00pm
Chauvel cinemas
QUEERDOC FESTIVAL, SYDNEY

September 21 at 7:00pm
FNAC-Chiado
LISBON LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

September 22
Cinéma Parisien
IMAGE + NATION MONTRÉAL INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL

October 16-20, 2002
DOCUPOLIS INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, BARCELONA

November 1-10, 2002
MADRID LESBIAN & GAY FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL

November 2, 4, 7, 2002
FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

November 22 at 8:20pm
AJIJIC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

November 15 at 12:30pm CCBB
November 23 at 6:30 pm CCBB
November 24 at 6:00 pm MAM
FESTIVAL MIX BRASIL

May 1-19, 2003
BOSTON LESBIAN & GAY FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL

May 10, 2003
FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DI CINEMA E VIDEO GAY DI FIRENZE

May 29, 2003 at 18h00
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE CINÉMA GAI ET LESBIEN DE MONTPELLIER

Friday June 6, 2003 at 9pm
PLANETE – ITALIAN TV PREMIERE

June 5-12, 2003
IDENTITIES QUEER FILM FESTIVAL, VIENNA

June 14, 2003
TORONTO ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL

Monday June 16, 2003 at 9pm
Tuesday June 24, 2003 at 12pm
Saturday June 28, 2003 at 3pm
SUNDANCE CHANNEL – US TV PREMIERE

 


Compass Productions
presents
a film by JOE BALASS
The Devil in the Holy Water
Written, Produced & Directed by
JOE BALASS

Creative Consultant
GIAMPAOLO MARZI

Camera
JOE BALASS
ANDREI KHABAD
MARJO FERWERDA
GIAMPAOLO MARZI

Sound
DAVID BALLARD
MARJO FERWERDA

Editor
JOE BALASS

Editing Consultant
ROLLAND POLLACK

Additional Editing & Online
DENNIS DAY

Sound Editor
MARTIN HURTUBISE

Assistant Director / Interpretor
GIAMPAOLO MARZI

With the generous participation of
IMMA BATTAGLIA
GIOVANNI DALL’ORTO   GIANNI DELLE
FOGLIE IVAN   DRAGONI CARDINAL
ROGER ETCHEGARAY   BISHOP
JACQUES GAILLOT   VLADIMIR LUXURIA
SONIA MANGELLO   SILVANO MOFFA
ELISABETH OHLSON   EMILIANO PLACCHI
FATHER GINO   RIGOLDI PIER   PAOLO TORRI

A special thanks to
KATIA BELLILLO   IVAN CATTANEO   MARIA GRAZIA CUCCINOTTA
MAURO MALINVERNO   MARIO D’ONOFRIO   ELEONORA DALL’OVO
ANDREA FERRARI   SISTER ROBERTA GIUDICI   GIOVANNI MAPPELLI
ANDREA MARNONI   CLAUDIA MAUTI   MASSIMO MAZZOTTA
LEONE PASSERMAN   DANIELE DEL POZZO   PECORARO SCANIO
MONICA STAMBRINI   CLAUDIA TORRESAN   PATRIZIA ZAPPA MULAS

AND TO THE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO AGREED
TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS FILM

Images & music
from the exhibition ECCE HOMO
held in FORTE PRENESTINO – ROMA
used with the generous permission of
ELISABETH OHLSON

Additional Music
Pasqualino Maragia
Tu si’ na cosa grande
Performed by DOMENICO MODUGNO
Publisher by ITALCANTO CANADA LTD. / INTERMÈDE MEDIA INC.

Recording
Courtesy of WEA INTERNATIONAL INC.
Petite Messe Solennelle – Cum Sancto Spiritu

Artists
BULGARIAN TELEVISION & RADIO
MIXED CHOIR with MIHAIL MILKOV

Writer
GIOACHINO ROSSINI

Publisher
INTERMÈDE MEDIA INC.

Recording
COURTESY OF FORLANE / INTERMÈDE MEDIA INC.

Graphic Concept
YUDI SEWRAJ

Web design
ETHERWORKS

Avid Consultants
PAOLA FREDDI
MARLENE MILLAR

Additional Camera
MONICA STAMBRINI
MARCO TANI EMANUELE

Thanks to the actors and musicians
in the performance of LAUDES GRIDO a tutta gente under the direction of GIGI DALL’AGLIO

Production Accountant
RICKIE ROSENBAUM

Production Assistants
VALERE POULIN   ANDREA MARNONI
NILTON DOS SANTOS ALMEIDA
MARIA MICHAILS   STEPHANE DROLET

Additional Thanks to
ROBERTA ANGELLILI   CELINE BISSONNETTE   NORMAND BOUCHER
ALDO CASSANO   MEMMO CAPORILLI   DANIELLE CHARLEBOIS
GIORGIO CODIBUE   MASSIMO CORTESI   FRANCESCA DAVELLO
ETTORINA   LUBOMIR FABCIN   ADRIAN GONZALEZ
INGO   GRANT INNES   DANIELE IUCOLANO   YVES LAFONTAINE
BERTRAND LACHANCE   DENIS LANGLOIS   ANTONELLO LAURIOLA
PHILIP LEWIS   MARCO LUPI   PASCAL MAEDER   LUIGI MANCONI
MONICA MARGRANDE   RAFFAELLA MARZI   MARLENE MILLAR
CHRISTINA NATI   LUDOVICO PACE   ALLESANDRA DI PIETRO
MARIE POTVIN   RAMONA RAMLOCHAND   RINALDO ROCCO
NICOLA RUSSO   VIVIAN SALLEI   ROB WILSON SMITH
ROBERTO SPAGNOL   MONICA STAMBRINI   YUDI SEWRAJ
CARLA TRAVERSI   TOM WAUGH   MARGARET WONG
THE STAFF AND PRESS OFFICE OF THE BACI FACTORY
ELENA SOLARI AND THE STAFF OF THE CANADIAN EMBASSY IN ROME
MARCELLA DAMIANI, ROBERTO BERNARDI AND THE STAFF OF THE CANADIAN EMBASSY IN VATICAN CITY
CLAUDE FORGET, MICHEL GELINAS AND THE STAFF OF CINÉMA LIBRE
ANGÈLE CYR, YOUSSEF EL JAI
SYLVAIN COSSETTE AND LINE BODIGUEL AT PRIM
THE STAFF OF THE FORTE PRENESTINO
THE ORGANISERS & STAFF OF THE ROMEI E GIUBILLEI EXHIBIT AT THE PALAZZO VENEZIA
CHRISTINA SPINA AND THE STAFF OF THE TEATRI STABILI DELL’UMBRIA IN PERUGIA
MARJORIE WEEKE AND THE STAFF OF THE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE
THE MARIO MIELI ASSOCIATION STAFF
AND ORGANISERS OF WORLDPRIDE 2000

AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO
HELPED MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN

News and archival footage provided by
arrangement with RAITrade

This film was made possible through the generous financial participation of
THE CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
THE MILLENNIUM FUND MEDIA ARTS PROGRAM
SODEC – PROGRAMME D’AIDE AUX JEUNES CRÉATEURS
PROGRAMME DU CRÉDIT D’IMPOT DU GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC
CONSEIL DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES DU QUÉBEC
THE CANADIAN INDEPENDENT FILM & VIDEO FUND

Additional support for this film provided by
PRIM
CENTRE D’ART MÉDIATIQUES
THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD – FILMMAKERS’ ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
CINÉMA LIBRE DISTRIBUTION

www.compassproductions.ca/devil

All rights reserved.
© Compass Productions Inc. 2002

 

Denis-Daniel Boullé, Fugues, mars 2002
Joe Balass avait marqué le festival Image + Nation de 1998 avec Nana, George et moi mettant en vedette Nana, la grand-mère juive irakienne du réalisateur et un homosexuel anglais âgé, également d’origine juive irakienne, dans une savoureuse et tendre confrontation. De ce regard porté par Joe Balass sur ses propres origines émergeait la curiosité du cinéaste pour les frontières religieuses, sociales, nationales, linguistiques et culturelles. Avec Le diable dans l’eau bénite, Joe Balass a planté sa caméra au cœur de deux événements qui ont soulevé les passions italiennes en l’an 2000…Ni pamphlet anti-catholique ni manifeste pro-gai, Le diable dans l’eau bénite joue de miroir entre les deux événements à travers plusieurs témoignages. Sans forcer le trait, Joe Balass nous laisse entrevoir que la ligne de fracture entre l’Eglise et l’homosexualité n’est pas une ligne droite, bien au contraire.

Gianni Rossi Barilli, Pride, marzo 2002
Ripensandoci, fare il WorldPride Roma durante l’anno santo è stato geniale. Ce lo ricorda ora il film di Joe Balass, riproponendo la ressadi giornalisti, fotografi e telecamere che si spintonava all’inaugurazione ufficiale, con Maria Grazia Cucinotta che taglia un nastro colorato contornata da Vladimir Luxuria e Imma Battaglia. È stato come l’uovo di Colombo pubblicitario del movimento gay italiano, che in pochi mesi, grazie la formidabile traino dell’indignazione vaticana, è riuscito a guadagnare più punti che in tanti anni di onesta militanza. Giubileo cattolico e Worldpride sono i fili conduttori paralleli del raconto di Balass, narrati attraverso le imprese di due filmaker-giornalisti (lo stesso Balass e il suo compagno Giampaolo Marzi) che decidono di girare un documentario su quanto sta succedendo a Roma in quello strano 2000. Si appostano quindi in Piazza San Pietro e dintorni e cominciano a filmare le adunate dei fedeli, il papa che parla con la voce tremolante dal balcone, le porte sante che riaprono il Giubileo. Intanto, poco distante da lì, gli omosessuali tramano per guastare la sacra festa. Tappa dopo tappa, Il diavolo nell’acqua santa ripercorre gli eventi che hanno prodotto il miracolo del Worldpride nella Roma giubilare, dedicando molto spazio allo scontro che oppose la Chiesa agli omosessuali… Ben scelta, ai fini della resa emotiva, anche la colonna sonora, che spazia da Domenico Modugno alla Petite Messe Solennelle di Rossini.

Pierre Ranger, Séquences mars/avril 2002
Premier long métrage de Joe Balass, le passionant documentaire The Devil in the Holy Water relate avec originalité les faits et suit pas à pas les gais, les lesbiennes et les organisateurs du World Pride qui, quelques mois avant la tenue de l’événement jusqu’à sa réalisation, brandissent à qui veut entendre ” Diversité ! Respect ! Liberté ! “.

Matthew Hays, Montreal Mirror, March 14 2002
Holy finocchio! Italian gays and conservative Catholics face off in Joe Balass’s doc The Devil in the Holy Water “Open signs of gay affection between men or women is not rare, and people aren’t anxious about it there. When driving, people run through red lights all the time. There’s a different attitude about life.”

Eric Fourlanty, Voir, 14 mars 2002
Le Diable dans l’eau bénite ressemble à son réalisateur: poli et têtu, diplomate et persévérant, louvoyant pour arriver à ses fins. Il faut le voir interviewer monseigneur Etchegaray, organisateur du Jubilé, et porte-parole à la langue de bois; ou filmer l’organisatrice en chef du World Pride, avec sa blonde, sur le bord de la rupture. Jamais voyeur, il aborde les choses en douceur, mais de front, sans jamais porter de jugement à l’emporte-pièce, laissant le président d’une association étudiante catholique, inquisiteur à peine pubère, se couler lui-même, mais filmant une religieuse qui l’aide spontanément à regonfler le pneu crevé de son vélo.

Odile Tremblay, Le Devoir, 16 mars 2002
Le film de Balass est très dynamique, tant les contrastes y sont nombreux. Un couple d’homosexuels se promène avec un sourire en coin, des groupes néofascistes dénoncent le défilé gay, des Italiens, qui en ont vu d’autres, haussent les épaules de leur côté… C’est le point de vue rétrograde de l’Eglise qui se dessine en creux, avec un refus d’ouverture à tout ce qui n’est pas la famille traditionnelle. Le film est une vraie rencontre entre le passé et la modernité.

Tony Aventino, Guidemagazine, marzo 2002
Il viaggio nell’Italia giubilare approda in Piazza San Pietro. Orde di accoliti festeggiano, pacificati con se stessi e con le alte sfere ecclesiatiche, il giubileo dei bambini, dei motociclisti, dei panettieri e fors’anche dei carcerati, tutti insieme in un ecumenismo quanto meno sospetto. E i gay? Provocatori, inopportuni, indecenti, osceni e volgari, costretti a sfogliare l’intera Costituzione italiana per rivendicare il diritto a manifestare. La telecamera li fotografa nella loro realtà, come decin e di servizi giornalistici non sono riusciti a fare, intenti solo e soltanto a mostrare la faccia baraccona e sguaiata dell’infinita fiumana. Chi quel giorno ha camminato, ballato, urlato e pianto per le strade della capitale sa che e’ compito ingrato immortalare nei fotogrammi quell’autentico stato di grazia. Joe Balass ha consegnato un documento che ci appartiene e che parla non solo al nostro cuore, ma anche alla testa, perché nessuno dimentichi cos’ha significato per i gay italiani l’estate del 2000.

Véronique Bouvier, La Presse, 16 mars 2002
Joe Balass réussit avec Le diable dans l’eau bénite à donner la parole tant aux activistes et membres de la communauté gaie qu’aux ecclésiastiques, religieuses, et catholiques intégristes. Pourtant tout les oppose : d’un côté, l’humour et l’enthousiasme de tous les participants de la World Gay Pride, un rassemblement festif et coloré; de l’autre, la froideur toute vaticane, le refus de s’exprimer sur la question des homosexuels, et le côté majestueux, voire pompeux, des cérémonies religieuses à St-Pierre de Rome.

Ken Eisner, Variety, May 21, 2002
Good-natured docu — sure to get good positioning at gay fests and wherever first-person nonfiction is favored — narrows question of Catholic acceptance of homosexuality down to two “competing” events: a World Gay Pride Day being held in Rome and the Vatican’s Jubilee. As the simultaneous occasions approach, Montreal-based helmer Joe Balass roams Rome’s streets, asking tourists, clerics and interested parties for their opinions… as insightful for depiction of Vatican protocol and rituals — including public weeping when the Pope utters his scripted pronouncements — as for what anyone says. With the nuns and priests Balass stops on the street or interviews in their offices, an elaborately polite “love the sinner, hate the sin” stonewalling prevails, although there is some vituperation from a few killer-fruit types the helmer hones in on. Most direct are the Pride Day participants, including articulate lesbian activist Imma Battaglia, who demands her place in heaven alongside all the other Catholics.


Compass Productions
Compass Productions inc.
info@compassproductions.ca

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