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Poster for The Devil's Work

The Devil's Work

2018 24 min Portuguese

A historical documentary and filmic poem that interprets the story of José Francisco Pereira, an enslaved man who was tried by the Lisbon Inquisition for sorcery and sodomy. An adaptation of Pereira’s trial is interwoven with passages from Saint Peter Damian’s passionate 11th-century condemnation of sodomy as an unrepeatable sin in Letter 31 (also known as The Book of Gomorrah), and Walter Benjamin’s iconic elucidations on historicism and progress in Theses on the Philosophy of History. The film revisits the morally and legally charged figure of the sodomite as a violent historical construction and expression of ecclesiastical, institutional, and colonial patriarchy.

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Not streaming anywhere

Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.

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Cast

4 people

Carlos Motta Director

First release October 31, 2018 · Original title Corpo Fechado

Languages

Original title

Corpo Fechado

Original language

Portuguese

Spoken on screen

Portuguese

Release dates

Portugal · October 31, 2018

Theatrical · Galeria Avenida da Índia

No release date listed for United States.

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