Virginie Efira stars as the titular Benedetta, a nun who, devoted to the Virgin Mary as a child, is granted entry to the Theatine Convent of the Italian city of Pescia. As an unwaveringly faithful adult, Benedetta’s religious fervor begins to manifest in increasingly sensual and violent visions of Jesus. These hallucinations arouse the suspicions of Charlotte Rampling’s shrewd abbess, Sister Felicita, whose distrust grows when a farm girl called Bartolomea (Daphné Patakia) enters the convent seeking refuge, and quickly develops an attraction to Benedetta.

Set to the backdrop of a country overcome by a gruesome plague, this outrageous cinematic spectacle is a mischievous and unique twist on the period drama.

Premiering at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Verhoeven’s intoxicating latest is a transgressive and alluring look at faith, power and religion, and is every bit as scandalous as you would expect from the controversial filmmaker.

VISIONS OF EUROPE: From 8-21 April, QFT celebrates the breadth of vision of European cinema, and bids a fond farewell to Europa Cinemas, with a season of 21 handpicked films. Explore the full season here.

_{As we move into the next stage of life in the pandemic, you might like to read more our current measures. Find out more here. If you have any questions, we've got a new range of FAQs here, and you can email us on qftmanager@qub.ac.uk.}