This film is part of Free

Sodom and Begorrah

Amusing fantasy of the adventures of a priest who finds his new parish in the grip of the most blatant depravity

Amateur film 1967 14 mins

From the collection of:

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Overview

Follow the trials of a priest shocked by the depravity of his new parish. How will he resist temptation in a town where sex, sin and violence are the order of the day? Who will offer spiritual comfort in his hour of need, and who will triumph in this epic battle for the souls of Ballybegorrah? To find out watch this hilarious story set in a country which exists only in the minds of those who have never been to Ireland.

This brilliant example of the playful insights of Archie Reid, Rex Thompson and Rowel Friers invites us to laugh at ourselves. Reid was a History teacher and prolific film maker. You can find more of his gems on the Britain on Film map ranging from the delightfully absurd to intimate rural portraits. Friers who appears here as angel, priest and devil was a political cartoonist, performer and painter. He strove to reflect political absurdities of Northern Ireland with impartiality, saying ‘I have no side in all of this. I just make fun of all the madness.’ A graduate of the Belfast College of Art he contributed to the arts throughout his life as President of both the RUA and Ulster Association of Drama Festivals.