New Irish feature documentary from Underground Films, Causeway Pictures and director Marty Stalker, Hostage to the Devil will launch on Netflix January 15th 2017.
A child possessed. An exorcist locked in combat with an ancient evil. This feature length doc tells the true story of Kerryman Father Malachi Martin and asks, in the battle for saving a soul, just who really is ‘Hostage to the Devil’.
Abbadon. Lucifer. Beelzebub. Satan. Old Nick. Antichrist. Mammon. Old Scratch. Evil One. The Devil. He is known by many names across the world and across the centuries. You may have your own name for him. You may imagine his form, his shape, his voice, his presence. You may have seen his portrait in artwork, in paintings, in film. You’ve doubtless heard stories of his power. You may have seen his shadow in dark news reports. You may tell yourself he is a cautionary tale, a childish fable; that you have nothing to fear.
Writer/Producer Rachel Lysaght (Strange Occurrences in a small Irish village) commented:
The central question this film sets out to interrogate is one that has occupied minds for centuries; does the Devil exist? The film examines this question through the life of one man, Malachi Martin; an Irish priest – a Kerryman – who dedicated his life to battling this ancient evil. But was he a warrior for Christ, or a charismatic charleton?
Using real footage from exorcisms, first-hand interviews, dramatic reconstruction, archival evidence and Martin’s own words, the film follows Father Martin’s incredible crusade from the 1970s through to his death in 1999.
Director Marty Stalker commented:
I’m delighted that Hostage To The Devil will be released worldwide on Netflix from 15th January 2017. As a filmmaker, it’s a dream come true to present my work to such a large-scale audience, and Netflix provides an incredible platform. The fascinating Malachi Martin was and still is an enigma and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing and hearing a lot more about him and his life in the years to come.
Hostage to the Devil is a Causeway Pictures film in association with Underground Films, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board and Northern Ireland Screen.
The film is released on Netflix on January 15th. For more information check out the film’s website, Facebook, and/or Twitter.