Kerry exorcist for Netflix doc
FORMER JESUIT PRIEST FROM BALLYLONGFORD CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE IN THE US
MALACHI Martin, a former Jesuit Priest who hailed from Ballylongford, is the subject of an upcoming Netflix documentary by Belfast-based director Marty Stalker.
‘Hostage to The Devil’ charts Mr Martin’s story up to his death in the USA in 1999, and has been billed as ‘ the true story of America’s most notorious exorcist’.
“He was focused on demonic possession,” Mr Stalker told The
Kerryman. “He claimed to have been involved in his first exorcism on an Arab boy in Egypt in the 1950s while contributing to the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.”
The Late Mr Martin left the Jesuits in 1964 in protest at church reforms. He moved to the US and rose to fame through his many media appearances.
“MALACHI Martin is an enigma, and I could only scratch the surface of what he was about in these 96 minutes. We’ll be hearing a lot more of him in the years ahead.”
Those were the words of Marty Stalker ahead of the January 15 Netflix release of ‘Hostage to the Devil’, a feature-length documentary on the vibrant life of controversial Kerryman Malachi Martin.
The production follows the Ballylongford-born priest - who claimed to have participated in numerous exorcisms - right up to his death at the age of 78 in Manhattan in 1999.
The documentary is co-produced by Northern Ireland’s Causeway Pictures and Dublin’s Underground Films, and has been billed as the ‘true story of America’s most notorious exorcist.’
The film is five years in the making, and Mr Stalker explained how it came about to
The Kerryman this week: “Two of the producers were in a pub on the continent some years ago, and a priest overheard that they were involved in film making. He suggested that they do a film on Malachi, a priest who was well known in America but relatively unknown elsewhere,” he said.
“After learning of the Kerry man’s fascinating story, they knew they had interesting subject matter on their hands to say the very least!”
Mr Martin left the Jesuit Order in 1964 in protest at reforms taking place in the church, and moved to the US thereafter. He rose to fame through his writings and many media appearances, and his book ‘Hostage to the Devil’, from which Mr Stalker’s film takes it title, became one of his most famous works.
“That book was released 40 years ago and had a huge effect,” Mr Stalker explained.
“It told of his involvement with the exorcism of five Americans, and it came at a time when such stories were rising to prominence,” Mr Stalker said.
The film features first-hand interviews, reconstructions and archival evidence, as well as Martin’s own words, and even official correspondence from the Jesuit Order, as the documentary makers inspect the divisive former priest.
“Malachi was highly controversial. He was a staunch traditionalist and he detested some of the reforms that took place in the church. He continued to criticise the moves to liberalise the church until his death” Mr Stalker said.
“He was also very focused on demonic possession having claimed to have been involved in his first exorcism on an Arab boy in Egypt the 1950s while contributing to the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.”
“The film asks ‘was Malachi telling the truth, or was he a sociopath?’
“But we did not really attempt to answer that question ourselvers. It’s up to the viewers to make up their own minds.”