The Passion of Michelangelo

Acclaimed Chilean director Esteban Larraín turns his attention to the true story of a street child who becomes a popular prophet, and of a people ready to give in, without questioning, to the luminous promise of a miracle. Chile, 1983. As the first street protests begin to pose a challenge for the Pinochet regime, 14-year-old orphan Miguel Ángel, who claims to see and talk to the Virgin Mary, is anointed as a prophet. His tormented face is endlessly reproduced in the media; within weeks, thousands are making a pilgrimage to his home village to take part in ceremonies involving visions and miracles of all kinds. Miguel Ángel himself undergoes a profound transformation, the shy boy becoming a clever, capricious teenager who uses his divine gift to manipulate others. The Church, however, cannot stand by. A priest, Father Ruiz Tagle, is sent to investigate the cult of the Virgin of Peñablanca. Miguel’s fate now seems uncertain...

Acclaimed Chilean director Esteban Larraín turns his attention to the true story of a street child who becomes a popular prophet, and of a people ready to give in, without questioning, to the luminous promise of a miracle. Chi... Read more