First of the Documentaries on Clergy Sex Abuse Released

At the Sundance Film Festival



From TWIST OF FAITH:



TWIST OF FAITH follows the intimate psychological journey of Tony Comes, a firefighter from Toledo, Ohio, who survived years of sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest. When we first meet Tony, he seems to have it all: a great job, a pretty wife, adorable kids and a beautiful house. But Comes is just beginning to come to grips with a past he’s buried for twenty years. The constant barrage of news related to sexual abuse, coupled with a disturbing discovery in his personal life, forces Comes to confront his demons.



A proud Catholic all his life, Comes decides to report his abuse to the person he has been taught to trust the most, his bishop. But when the bishop isn’t completely honest with him, Tony files a lawsuit – first as John Doe, later putting his own name on the suit and going public. As Comes grapples with anger, guilt and confusion, the film shows how the effects of his abuse entangle everyone with whom he shares an intimate bond: his wife, children, extended family, friends and ultimately, his God.



While TWIST OF FAITH unravels the damage that sexual abuse wreaks on Comes’ life, the film also chronicles a close-knit Catholic town that is unwilling to let the truth come out. Comes does everything he can to hang on to a lifetime of Catholic traditions, despite his ongoing pain and the deceit of Church leaders. The result is a riveting drama of one man’s struggle to overcome a profound trauma in the face of intense family, community and religious pressures.