The Holy Office (film)


The Holy Office is a 1974 Mexican drama film directed and co-written by Arturo Ripstein. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival and won the Silver Goddess for Best Film in 1974 awarded by the Mexican Cinema Journalists.

Plot

The Carvajal family is mourning the death of their patriarch. Their eldest son, raised in a monastery for most of his life, is shocked to witness signs of his family observing the Laws of Moses, cleaning his father's body, and uttering Hebrew words. He reports his suspicions to his superiors, and brings to bear the bureaucratic wrath of the Inquisition upon his grieving mother, sister, brothers, and much of the secret Jewish community of 16th Century New Spain that they belong to.

Cast