Deliver Us from Evil 2006

In the mid-1970s, Father Oliver O’Grady won the trust and affection of his congregation as he moved through a number of Californian parishes. Well aware that they were harbouring an active paedophile, the Catholic Church continued to provide sanctuary for a man who molested hundreds of children over a 30-year period. In this highly charged and confrontational documentary, director Amy Berg talks with his victims, their families and even O’Grady himself in candid, extended conversations. His cheerful candour is in stark contrast with the pain of those parishioners whose faith he (with the tacit support of his church) so clearly abused.

“Paedophilia is not a subject most are eager to think about, but these days it seems impossible to avoid. Neither sensationalistic nor sentimental, Ms Berg’s film is clear-sighted, tough-minded and devastating, a portrait of individual criminality and institutional indifference, a study in the betrayal of trust and the irresponsibility of authority.” — A.O. Scott, NY Times