The Devil and Father Amorth

In his latest, William Friedkin returns not only to his documentary roots but to the subject of one of his most towering works, 1973’s The Exorcist. Friedkin, a legendary raconteur, leads a tour that moves from the infamous Exorcist steps in Georgetown to Italy, where he meets with the 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, official exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, and accompanies Amorth on one of his harrowing house calls. This is a sprightly, at times gonzo-style, investigation into the long history of demonic lore, and a one-of-a-kind insight into the persistence of medieval belief in the supposedly modern world.

Screening with a 24-minute companion piece of new interviews with William Friedkin, in which he discusses the making of DEVIL, his thoughts looking back on THE EXORCIST, and drops in a few great anecdotes from his wild career.

Total running time: 91 minutes.