'Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God' Shortlisted for Oscar

By Eva Hall
Irish Film and Television Network
December 10, 2012

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‘Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God’ was filmed in Ireland, America & Italy

nother Irish production has made the Oscars shortlist for 2013, with documentary ‘Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God’ being shortlisted in the Best Documentary Feature documentary.

The Irish/American co-production joins short animation ‘Head Over Heels’, which was produced by Irish woman Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, and made the shortlist last month.

Oscar winning director Alex Gibney helmed ‘Silence in the House of God’, which was shot all over Ireland, the US and part of Italy. The feature documentary revisits the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, with first-hand accounts from victims.

The documentary uncovered a number of scandals that went beyond the abuse, to cover ups in the Irish Catholic Church to the Vatican.

It is now one of 15 documentaries up Oscar consideration.

Northern Irish production company Below the Radar co-produced with Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions and Wider Film Projects. For Below the Radar, Trevor Birney and Ruth O’Reilly produced, with Eimhear O’Neill the associate producer. Ross McDonnell was the cinematographer.

Additional Irish-based crew included Colm O’Meara, David Kilpatrick and Kevin McCarthy, who were in charge of audio; location scout Cathy Pearson; production assistant Catherine Madden, and researchers Chris Moore and Michael Pello.

The documentary received its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival last September, and also screened at the London Film Festival last week.

The film received support from the Irish Film Board and HBO Documentary Films.

Element Pictures is distributing in Ireland next year.

The 2013 Oscar nominations will be announced on January 10.