Federica di Giacomo's 'Liberami' premieres at Venice Film Festival

Federica di Giacomo's documentary 'Liberami' premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, offering a non-horror perspective on exorcism. The film follows Father Cataldo, a Sicilian exorcist whose weekly sessions attract dozens of people seeking liberation from demonic possession. Di Giacomo avoids irony or judgment, instead capturing the paradoxes of faith and mental health. The possessed individuals, often isolated and desperate, find in Cataldo a figure who provides moral and psychological support, compensating for gaps in healthcare. The documentary blurs reality and fiction, as subjects perform for the camera, influenced by horror film tropes. Di Giacomo stated she aimed to break free from horror stereotypes, yet the possessed sometimes resemble genre characters, having internalized cinematic imagery. The film explores how fiction shapes our understanding of evil, concluding that while the devil may not exist, evil certainly does. The director hopes for a theatrical release.