SCREENING SATURDAY 14th MARCH

Premiering at the 1985 Berlin International Film Festival, Godard’s contemporary reimagining of the Nativity story drew outrage from religious groups. Marie, a young Swiss student, becomes mysteriously pregnant despite her vow of chastity. She wrestles with the spiritual and physical implications of her condition while Joseph, her bewildered boyfriend, is schooled by Gabriel, who has arrived by airplane, to love Marie from a distance, revering her without touching her. Hail Mary faced significant controversy, leading to protests in several countries, yet the film remains a serious engagement with spirituality in an everyday setting.

Notes by David O’Mahony

Screening as part of Truth, 24 Frames per Second: The Films of Jean-Luc Godard