WATCH: This harrowing short film takes on sexual abuse in the Catholic church
Into Temptation.“I grew up in the Roman Catholic church and saw firsthand the hypocrisy and, later, the dangers of blind faith,” the director shares with Queerty. “As I got older and was exposed to the abuse scandals that ran rampant—and unchecked—through churches and schools worldwide, the public’s reaction to the news angered me.”So, da Matta sought to channel those strong emotions into a film that would explore “the trauma of celibacy, the concept of forbidden love, and the ramifications of abuse.” The result is the gripping and urgent Into Temptation.In the film, a fateful encounter reunites a man named Michael (Juan Manuel Salcito) with the priest (Tom McLaren) who abused him as a child two decades prior.
The power dynamics between the pair now flipped on their head, Michael grapples with the complicated feelings that he’s been unable to shake his entire life.You can watch a brief teaser for Into Temptation here, or scroll down to watch it in full below:What started as a revenge story becomes something much more complex, and da Matta’s hope is that audiences will be able to understand where Michael is coming from—even if they don’t agree with his actions.
To achieve this, Into Temptation makes impactful use of time and memory, with images of Michael’s younger self (played by Jaxon Ballenger) frequently spilling into his present day timeline.“[Michael’s] past trauma is integral to the story, I had to explore those parts of his childhood,” says the filmmaker. “Those memories are not from his past—he still lives those words and believes those words to this very day.
Those moments are as present with him… His blind faith in his priest and in the church’s authority created this reality.”A post shared by Into Temptation.
