The Orchard has acquired the distribution rights to THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH, THE EXORCIST director William Friedkin's documentary about an actual exorcist.
Friedkin traveled to Rome to meet with 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, known as the “Vatican Exorcist,” to film a real-life exorcism. The documentary gives a terrifying look at the ninth and final exorcism performed by Father Amorth.
The documentary features the exorcism of an Italian woman, an event that Friedkin described as
terrifying. I went from being afraid of what could happen to feeling a great deal of empathy with this woman’s pain and suffering, which is obvious in the film."
THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH was produced by Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon for LD Entertainment. Friedkin had this to say about his decision to make the documentary:
In the early 1970s when I directed The Exorcist, I had not witnessed an exorcism but I wondered how close I had come to portraying reality. I had been curious to meet Father Amorth for many years and when he granted permission to meet and film him in Rome last May, it was the opportunity to complete the circle and see how close that film came to reality."
The Orchard will be giving THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH a theatrical release on April 20th, with a worldwide digital release to follow.
Honestly, I wouldn't have much interest in this type of documentary if it weren't for the fact that it was made by Friedkin. An exorcism filmed by the director of THE EXORCIST, I have to see.