The first look at director Paul Verhoeven’s new film Benedetta is here with a first trailer and premiere date to show at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. It will show as part of the competition during the festival set to take place from July 6-17. There is no confirmed US release date, though it will show in France starting on July 9.
Based on a true story, it focuses on Virginie Ebira's Sister Benedetta. Originally titled Blessed Virgin, the film is set in the late 15th century as the world in crisis as a plague ravages the land and is based on the book Judith C. Brown. It follows Benedetta when she joins a convent in Tuscany and begins to have a profound impact on the community. Despite only being a novice, she is believed to be capable of performing miracles which she has done from an early age.
However, the admiration and love the community has for Benedetta does not come without conflict. As she begins to experience disturbing religious and erotic visions, she also strikes up a forbidden affair with another nun, Daphne Patakia’s Bartolomea. Benedetta will then have to face the ire of Felicita, played by iconic actress Charlotte Rampling, as she grapples with intense scrutiny from the very convent she resides in.
Ebira had previously told Collider that she couldn’t say any of the “outrageous” things that happen in the film though she had already warned her parents before they could see it. Ebira offered praise for the directors she has worked with, including Verhoeven, and navigating her own role in the creative process as an actress in a film like Benedetta.
“I would do anything for a director like Paul or Justine, who are intelligent, interesting and passionate about their work. I have my own opinion about the parts and what I’m asked to do and I think as actors we are responsible for what we choose. But I have no consciousness of what my limitations are. If someone asks me to do something and I’m confident and like the proposal then I’m just going to go ahead.”
The film is Verhoeven’s first since 2016’s Elle, an unsettling and remarkable piece starring Isabelle Huppert. Verhoeven is most known for his strong run of films such as Robocop, Starship Troopers, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct.
You can see the full trailer for Benedetta below and get a glimpse for yourself of what to expect from what already looks like a classic Verhoeven vision.