Antonia Birds Priest (1995) is a powerful British drama about a young Catholic priest torn between his private life and his faith. When a confession reveals a family secret he cannot ethically ignore, hes forced to confront hypocrisy within the Church and his own moral turmoil. Bold, compassionate, and controversial, it stands as a defining Social and Political Drama of 1990s British cinema.

First time on Blu-ray for this award-winning British 1990s drama, directed by Antonia Bird and written by Jimmy McGovern.

At his new parish in inner-city Liverpool, eager young priest Father Greg (Linus Roache) clashes with his colleague Father Matthew (Tom Wilkinson) over his progressive politics and disregard for his vow of celibacy. But soon, Father Gregs harsh judgement is directed inwards as he grapples with his attraction to a man, and his faith is tested when he learns of a young girls abuse in the confessional.

On its release, the film was widely condemned by the Church for its depiction of Catholicism, with calls to ban its theatrical release and boycotts of theatres screening the film. While some saw it as blasphemous, others praised it for its bold and confronting lens on the scandals and contradictions within the Catholic institution.

Från IMDB:
A homosexual Catholic priest finds out during confessional that a young girl is being sexually abused by her father, and has to decide how to deal with both that secret and his own.

Extras

I Miss Those Days (2025): a newly recorded interview with actor Linus Roache

The BAFTA & BFI Screenwriters Lecture Series: Jimmy McGovern (2016, 27 mins): the award-winning writer in conversation with journalist Miranda Sawyer

The Guardian Interview: Antonia Bird (1995, 72 mins): the director discusses her career television and film leading up to Priest and how she became involved in the project