Atlanta Jewish Film Festival – The Penitent

In this incisive adaptation of a David Mamet play, a Jewish psychiatrist’s life unravels as he refuses to testify for a violent ex-patient. New York therapist Charles Hirsch (Luca Barbareschi) faces a firestorm after a troubled youth commits a deadly school shooting. The assailant’s gay identity, set against the doctor’s writings and devout beliefs, trigger accusations of homophobia, yet he steadfastly guards patient privacy. Amid legal scrutiny and relentless media hounding, Charles holds to his principles, a struggle depicted through gripping philosophical discourse. With Catherine McCormack as his anguished wife, Adam James as his lawyer, and Adrian Lester as the prosecutor, this engrossing Venice Film Festival Best Italian Film winner probes deep ethical quandaries of the human psyche.