Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)

In the hushed whispers of the 17th century, a small-town convent quivers under the sinister clutch of supposed demonic possession. The unsettling air is pierced by the arrival of a high-ranking Catholic official, intent on performing an exorcism to cleanse the religious sanctuary. This eerie malady was ignited by a local priest, now reduced to ashes for succumbing to the seductive temptation of the nuns, causing a ripple of hysteria, particularly within the Mother Superior. A youthful priest, radiating naivety and faith, is called upon to assist in this spiritual warfare. His initial encounter with the convent's matriarch, Mother Joan of the Angels, is a chilling dance with the devil. Mother Joan, seemingly a puppet of Satan, spews blasphemies and provokes the young priest, her words echoing like a sinister symphony. Yet, in the same breath, she implores the priest to save her, to help her thread the path towards sainthood. This is a tale of faith tested by darkness, a spiritual tug of war between the divine and the demonic, where salvation and damnation balance on the edge of a prayer.

Mother Joan of the Angels is a drama movie featuring Mieczysław Voit and directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz.

Mother Joan of the Angels is currently streaming on MUBI.