THE STORY

This documentary takes us to a remote chapel in Portugal to examine a unique phenomena; for nearly a century brides from all over the country have been donating their used wedding gowns to Saint Mary Adelaide – according to popular belief she helps couples have happy marriages.

The small chapel near Porto contains a shrine to the saint, who’s decaying corpse is presented in a glass coffin and adorned with white satin. The chapel has collected over six thousand wedding gowns and receives so many donations that they have adopted the novel approach of hiring them out to brides at no cost at all.

What I find fascinating and what this film will explore is why people feel the need to believe in the saint and how they come to construct their beliefs. How does their faith help them to face the world and make sense of their fears and desires? Whilst reflecting on religion and the human condition this film will come alive with the personal stories of the diverse individuals brought together by their common devotion to the saint. The film will be a playful and meditative piece of visual poetry that will probe the boundary between religion and superstition.

THE SAINT

No one knows why Saint Mary Adelaide was adopted as divine matchmaker, but it may have roots in the strange story of her death. Born in 1835 Mary Adelaide was known for her kind and charitable disposition but she only gained the status of ‘saint’ 30 years after her death when, during renovations to the local cemetery, her coffin was exposed and her body was found to be perfectly intact and exuding a fine aroma of roses - a phenomena which is referred to as ‘incorruptability’. Notably, Mary Adelaide was never officially canonized by the Catholic Church, but has nevertheless attracted a devoted following, becoming something of a cult figure.

THE STYLE

The film will be shaped by the collection of stories from the diverse individuals that visit the chapel and will be held together by the voice of Eugenia, who founded the Museum of Saint Mary Adelaide which is adjoined to the main chapel. She has worked there for 15 years and has even decorated the chapel and museum with her own personal touches. I’m interested in creating the feeling of a contained world – a space of contemplation and reflection within which to observe the steady flow of devotees. I don’t want to create a ‘talking heads’ documentary, but instead would like to experiment with fragments of dialogues that are gradually pieced together to reveal the story. This film will also have a strong emphasis on visual contrasts; the tension between the otherworldly chapel versus the outside ‘real’ world, or the incongruity of the horrifying corpse of the saint in her glass coffin against the virginal white wedding gowns that surround it.