‘Procession’ leads the way to catharsis for victims of priests abuse

The documentary “Procession” honors the hundreds of boys sexually assaulted by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City by following six local men on a three-year collaborative process with filmmaker Robert Greene, a drama therapist and their own ghosts. Each man who suffered abuse as a kid—Joe, Mike, Ed, Dan, Michael and Tom—decides that they will allow Greene to film a dramatic reenactment of a critical moment of their time in the church. While this might feel like a difficult place to begin, the fruits of their labor are surprisingly exhilarating.

First the men meet each other to share stories, plan their scenes and grieve collectively. As they exchange ideas, we hear their voices and see details of their hands—tough skin, clenched fists and bitten nails. They express a wide range of emotions. Mike is the most confrontational survivor, ready to rumble with the Diocese that hides behind a statute of limitations. When he speaks you can feel the stained-glass windows shiver a little. Ed on the other hand still smiles with a sense of wonder when he rings a church bell for the first time in decades. “Procession” excels at showing how the men take power back from the rituals and symbols of Catholicism. Their first reenactment begins with a baptism, a dropped incense burner, and a priest’s glowing green eyes.

What’s fascinating to see is the how the men have natural filmmaking gifts—Ed is strong at storyboarding, Dan is a natural location scout, and Michael is a great set designer, capable of finding shocking props like a photograph of one of the serial child rapist priests smiling next to the Pope. The survivors also work on special effects, editing and coaching a young local actor Terrick to express their collective experience in the scenes. These men do not merely collaborate with Greene—they make this film.

While the men’s overlapping stories lead to many breakthroughs, they also reveal the profound aloneness they felt when they were boys. Often, they did not seek help because the priests convinced them nothing was forthcoming besides damnation. Despite several instances of catharsis, the documentary doesn’t shy away from the moments where the men simply cannot find their way through the blockages of the past. Faced with the physical endpoints of his journey, Dan wonders, “Did we come here before?”

In the past 10 years, from “Fake It So Real” to “Actress” to “Kate Plays Christine” to “Bisbee ’17,” working with wrestlers and aspiring performers and total non-actors, Greene has made a steady progression to this film, a masterpiece of documentary filmmaking. He’s a genius-level editor, melding verité footage and theatrical reenactments into one of the finest marriages of concept and execution ever achieved in the art.

Joe says his goal is to be the “Epic hero in the story of us,” and the most wonderful thing about the project of “Procession” is that feels like the exact opposite of Marvel’s “Eternals.” Rather than churning out more meaningless green screen nonsense, we get an inspiring display of true heroism and filmmaking prowess.