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      Procession

      R 2021 1 hr. 59 min. Documentary List
      98% 46 Reviews Tomatometer 81% Fewer than 50 Ratings Audience Score In the American heartland, six survivors of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic priests become a makeshift family as they collaborate to create staged scenes depicting rituals of power in the church. Read More Read Less

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      Critics Consensus

      Harrowing yet essential viewing, Procession probes the lasting legacy of trauma with heart-wrenching grace.

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      Audience Reviews

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      brent m Sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests is undoubtedly a serious subject, and undertakings that address it deserve to be accorded due respect. One might even say that criticisms of such works is inherently bad form. However, for director Robert Greene's documentary about the efforts of six abuse survivors to come to terms with this issue through drama therapy, the film's uneven and somewhat disorganized treatment of its material tends to bog down the flow of their story. To a great degree, this is probably due to the picture's attempt at examining far too much ground in the allotted time, occasionally making the narrative appear scattered and unfocused and giving short shrift to certain aspects. To its credit, the film's dramatic re-creations of the survivors' abuse incidents are moving, shocking and powerful, generating genuinely heartfelt emotions. In addition, a number of individual interview sequences reveal appalling details about the victimizers and the Church's manipulative practices to avoid liability, most notably drawing upon statutes of limitation to skillfully evade prosecution. Indeed, the film makes a damningly strong case against the dangers of organized religion, particularly its ploys to fearfully manipulate and control parishioners, especially among the young and vulnerable. Yet it's because of that, unfortunately, that this production fails to convey its message as clearly and effectively as it could have. A better attuned approach would have worked much better in making this the bombshell it might have been. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Procession is a difficult but rewarding watch. I thought this was just gonna be a straightforward documentary about these 6 men and their horrific experiences with the Catholic Church. But it was actually about these men making films to process their trauma. It was a fascinating watch, seeing how drama therapy helped these men. The scenes they film are hard to watch but thankfully are done tastefully. Overall, this is a great documentary. If you are okay with watching something very dark give this a watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/27/21 Full Review Theodore H The story of how these men deal with the horror and injustice of what was done to them as boys is so important but so difficult to tell. The film told it truly and beautifully. Its a great film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/22/21 Full Review Audience Member It's always been kind-boggling to me how people can be so disgusting. There is no excuse or appeal ever for pedophilia. I am appalled at what these men had to go through. It's so sad and heartbreaking to see grown men break down crying and feeling violated like that. The concept of this movie was brilliant. It was the first time that I heard of cinema being used as a medium for therapy, and I loved it. Seeing the guys helping each other overcoming each of their own demons was sweet and powerful. I do wish the movie talked a bit more about the effect or mechanism of drama therapy, as this technique should be popular. The pacing can be slow at times, but there were many strong and hopeful moments, especially when we started watching the scenes. Overall, an amazing documentary that was both refreshing and powerful. 8-8.5/10 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member An attack on the Church, shows that the film was made with bad intentions, I do not recommend watching it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful documentary that explores shared trauma and ways to move past it. It succeeds in making you feel so empathetic and proud of these men moving on from the demons who have haunted them for decades. Absolutely essential viewing! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Guy Lodge Variety Robert Greene's signature mode of performance-based documentary finds potent purpose in this shattering study of six abuse survivors processing their pain through art. Feb 8, 2022 Full Review John Anderson America Magazine Procession is a film that makes you think. It certainly doesn't make you comfortable. Nov 24, 2021 Full Review David Fear Rolling Stone These guys are the ones who step willingly into the worst moments of their lives, jumping into an abyss with the faith that there may be something healing on the other side. Name something that's more heroic than that. Nov 22, 2021 Full Review Tom O'Brien Next Best Picture Look closer, and you'll begin to see that this film is really about something just as profound but somehow very different: the power of art to heal. Rated: 8/10 Jun 16, 2022 Full Review Phil Guie Film-Forward.com By the mid-section, the narrative starts to follow a pattern of prep scenes, filming, emotional catharsis, and then repeat. Yet Procession never becomes monotonous because each mans journey has its own twists and turns. Rated: 4.5/5 Apr 17, 2022 Full Review David Lynch KENS 5 TV (San Antonio) "Watching the short films they create may give 'Procession' its momentum, but its richness is derived in the moments between takes, in the sense of community that comes to bind them as they will themselves and each other forward." Feb 21, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis In the American heartland, six survivors of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic priests become a makeshift family as they collaborate to create staged scenes depicting rituals of power in the church.
      Director
      Robert Greene
      Executive Producer
      Geralyn White Dreyfous, Davis Guggenheim, Laurene Powell-Jobs, Patty Quillin, Jenny Raskin, Regina K. Scully, Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott
      Production Co
      Impact Partners, 4th Row Films, Concordia Studio, Artemis Rising Foundation
      Rating
      R (Language)
      Genre
      Documentary
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 19, 2021
      Sound Mix
      Dolby Digital
      Aspect Ratio
      Scope (2.35:1)
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