Rituál

What happened behind the walls of a Franciscan monastery in the American Midwest shocked the world. Eyewitnesses saw the girl making inhuman sounds, speaking in unknown languages, raging in a trance and floating helplessly above the ground. The priests who performed the exorcism ritual also experienced hellish moments, with several nuns asking for a transfer. One of the most terrifying exorcism cases of all time comes to life again with the legendary Al Pacino, who must face not only the devil but also his own demons. She faces the most difficult test of her faith, because she faces real evil. This has been reincarnated in Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen), who first showed signs of possession at the age of fourteen. At that time, the teenage girl began to be haunted by demonic voices that forbade her to pray or take Holy Communion, and urged her to break holy water vessels or attack her superiors. Although repeated medical examinations have not revealed any problem, her behavior becomes increasingly frightening. Therefore, Father Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) is called to the young woman to perform an exorcism. With the help of Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens), she performs a series of risky rituals that make your blood run cold and your stomach turn. Several sisters immediately leave the convent at their own request, while others speak of the horrors they have experienced. They describe bodies contorting in unnatural positions and turning deathly pale, agonizing wails, streams of vomited bile, or fits of swearing and furious spouting of information that the young woman could not have known. The church officially confirms that an exorcism is taking place in Earling, Iowa. The case of Emma Schmidt becomes one of the best-documented in history and even appears on the pages of Time magazine. The film Ritual is also based on the surviving records. Director David Midell drew on the period document Begone Satan! (Step aside, Satan!) for filming. “It contains statements and testimonies from people who were direct participants in the exorcism of Emma Schmidt in 1928 in a convent in Iowa. This event is horrific, but at the same time fascinating and historically verified,” says Midell, adding that his intention was to get as close to reality as possible. “We wanted to truthfully portray what, according to witnesses, really happened at the time,” he adds.