Paradise: Faith (2012)

In the heart of Austria, a solitary woman named Anna Maria, well into her 50s, finds solace in her fervent devotion to Catholicism. Once wedded to a Muslim man who has since vanished, her loneliness only fuels her religious zeal, transforming her into a self-appointed missionary. As her summer vacation unfolds, she embarks on a spiritual quest, venturing into diverse and at times perilous neighborhoods. Her mission? To steer Austria back onto the path of virtue, one doorstep at a time. In her hands, she cradles a foot-high statue of the Virgin Mary, her rosary murmurs filling the air as she persists in her evangelism. Yet, her devotion takes a darker turn as she succumbs to ritualistic self-punishment, her self-flagellation echoing an unsettling blend of repressed carnality and transference. This masochistic behaviour, ostensibly driven by her profound love for Jesus, subtly hints at the depths of her internal conflict. Life as she knows it is upended when her long-absent husband, an Egyptian Muslim bound to a wheelchair, returns unexpectedly. A man who once shared her life, but not her faith, his sudden reappearance unveils the true extent of Anna Maria's so-called "Christian" behavior. The return of her husband not only disrupts her religious crusade but also forces a confrontation with her own complex duality. Thus, Paradise: Faith paints a gripping portrait of a woman caught between her religious fervor and her earthly desires, set against the backdrop of a culturally diverse Vienna.

Paradise: Faith is a drama movie featuring Maria Hofstätter and directed by Ulrich Seidl.

Paradise: Faith is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Tubi TV and VUDU Free and it's also available on MUBI.

It is also possible to buy Paradise: Faith on Amazon Video, Apple TV and Vudu.