Procession

Robert Greene's 2021 documentary brings together six men who were sexually abused as boys by Catholic clergy. The film does not ask them to tell their stories; instead it proposes that each write and shoot a short fiction scene drawn from his own trauma. That method is the idea at the documentary's centre: putting control of the account in the hands of the survivor. The men choose the locations, cast the roles and at times play the figure who abused them. A drama therapist accompanies the process. The film does not dramatise the abuse; what it shows is how laborious recovery is. It is heavy to watch and emotionally exhausting. Who it's for: viewers curious about the limits of documentary form and those who work on trauma. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding the subject of child abuse, or wanting a story kept at a distance.