By the Grace of God (French: Grâce à Dieu) is a 2019 French-Belgian drama film directed by François Ozon. The film stars Melvil Poupaud, Denis Ménochet and Swann Arlaud as three victims of a Catholic priest's abuse, who are set to expose the sexual abuse hidden by the Catholic Church.
It premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Jury Grand Prix. The film was released in France on 20 February 2019 and in Belgium a week later, and has received critical acclaim.
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Plot
Alexandre Guérin lives in the Lyon region. A flourishing banking executive, husband of a loving wife and father of five children, he is a practicing Catholic, just like his family. One day, after a conversation with a former scout comrade like him, he remembers the sexual abuse he suffered from a pedophile priest, Father Bernard Preynat. The facts are prescribed. But, assailed by painful memories, Guérin decides to undertake an investigation. He gets in touch with the archbishop's psychologist, Régine Maire. Through her, he obtains an appointment with Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon. He then discovers that despite the warning of several parents, the Church has covered up the affair. Régine Maire organizes a brief confrontation between Alexandre and Father Preynat, which ends with an almost surreal common prayer. Despite the numerous emails from Guérin, the ecclesiastical authorities procrastinate and backtrack. Worse, during a mass, Guérin finds that Father Preynat, kept in office, is still in contact with young people.