Mother Joan of the Angels

Young, virtuous exorcist Father Suryn is assigned a difficult task: he must investigate a case of demonic possession after a local priest is burnt for tempting the nuns of a convent. Arriving at the nunnery, he meets its abbess, Mother Joan, thus embarking a struggle against the forces of darkness to save her soul. Inevitably the priest must choose between sacrificing his own purity and saving the convent from evil. A visually sophisticated film, Mother Joan of the Angels is a study of faith, sin and redemption.

Accolades

1961 Cannes Film Festival – Jury Special Prize – winner, Palme d’Or – nominated.

Cast & Crew

Directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz. Written by Jerzy Kawalerowicz and Tadeusz Konwicki. Cinematography by Jerzy Wójcik. Production design: Tadeusz Wybult and Roman Mann. Music by Adam Walaciński. Film editing by Wiesława Oto- cka. Production management: Ludwik Hager. © Studio Filmowe Kadr. Cast: Lucyna Winnicka (Mother Joan of the Angels), Mieczysław Voit (Father Józef Suryn, Rabbi), Anna Ciepielewska (Sister Małgorza- ta), Maria Chwalibóg (Antosia), Kazimierz Fabisiak (Father Brym), Stanisław Jasiukiewicz (Chrząszcze- wski), Zygmunt Zintel (Wincenty Wołodkowicz), Jerzy Kaczmarek (Kaziuk), Franciszek Pieczka (Odryn), Jarosław Kuszewski (Juraj), Lech Wojciechowski (Piątkowski).