New: "The War of Vendee"

Now available from Ignatius Press, the second full-length movie from Navis Pictures:

The War of Vendee

87 minutes | DVD

This inspiring new film from Navis Pictures, producers of St. Bernadette of Lourdes, tells the moving story of France's little known religious civil war in the years following the French Revolution. Featuring an exuberant and gifted cast of over 250 young Catholics, it is a powerful story  of sacrifice and martyrdom, but told here with a careful sense of reserve, and is an outstanding movie for the whole family. 

In 1793, after enduring three and a half years of  persecution of the Church by the architects of the French Revolution, a small band of faithful peasants and nobles from the Vendee region of France began a Catholic "counter-revolution".  This is the unknown, heroic story of the valiant, six year struggle of the people of that small section of western France to restore their Holy Religion and their King.  Steeped in the spiritual influence of St. Louis de Montfort, and wearing their rosaries and emblems of the Sacred Heart, their sacrifices resulted in countless martyrdoms, and ultimately won the restoration of religious freedom for all of France. 

This beautiful film is a love-letter to the Vendean people, and was produced to honor the memory of these brave men and women who willingly sacrificed their lives, "for God and King".

This wonderful film features stunning performances by the large, talented cast of young people, gorgeous cinematography, and a glorious original music score that will inspire audiences of all ages with its timeless themes of courage, faith, and love.

Comments

[Ed]

First, why is everyone so young?!

Second, a story about the vendee would be great, not to mention timely...but this looks like yet another 'well meaning but poorly made christian movie'
And I don't mean to bash those involved, again they were well meaning, it's just sad they did not have the production values of a bigger budget film.

[Carl E. Olson]

Ed: Before jumping the gun, read a bit on Ignatius Insight about Navis Pictures and why their two movies feature all-children casts. You'll note that founder of Navis, Jim Morlino, was (in his words) "a professional musician and actor for about 25 years (I got my S.A.G. card when I was 24)". The production values of a bigger budget film require, well, a big budget. And if films were only made if they had a big budget, what good would that be? The fact is, Navis Pictures' first movie, St. Bernadette of Lourdes, was quite delightful and well produced; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Ed]

Yes, I may have jumped the gun, my apologies. It's just that I have seen one too many poorly made 'catholic' movies, and quite frankly some are embarrassing. The Catholic faith is a grand thing indeed, it's art should be no less, and crappy films (like most of Leonardo Defilippis' work) don't help our cause imho. If that is not the case here, with Navis pictures, then more power to them!

[Agnieszka]

Ed makes a point (Defilippis' movies stink!).

The Catholic faith is so awe-some that it just often doesn't carry well in some media, especially movies (and books, and art...). The subject matter overwhelms the form (von Balthasar?), and explodes it -- if done well.
But if done poorly, it dismays, it disturbs (in a bad kind of way), and turns into kitch.
Flannery O'Connor said a few things about it, too.

[Dan Deeny]

Balzac wrote a novel about the War in the Vendee. I read it and it is very good.