Molokai: The Story of Father Damien

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
	Promotional poster
Directed by	Paul Cox
Starring	David Wenham; Kate Ceberano; Derek Jacobi; Sam Neill; Kris Kristofferson; Tom Wilkinson; Peter O'Toole
Music by	Paul Grabowsky; Wim Mertens
Release date	17 March 1999;
Running time	122 minutes
Countries	Belgium; Australia
Language	English

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien is a 1999

Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. It was directed by Paul Cox.^[1]

Plot

With the coming of more

altar boy. The boy is the first person Fr. Damien touches. Near to the chapel Father meets a Protestant Englishman turned a patient who was once a medical assistant in Honolulu (a city in another island). He finds it very difficult to adjust with the church but Fr. Damien's presence is some consolation to him. (He later dies and is buried in the Catholic cemetery). The Bishop who is so considerate relates with Damien's provincial that there is a report about the Father, describing him as 'The Christian Hero' by the prime minister

.

Soon a doctor arrives who belongs to

Congregational Church and communicates to him that there is a Chinese medicine named Hoang Nan

which might be of some help to the patients. The Father with the help of the doctor gives the medicine to some of the patients. During that, Damien informs the doctor about the pathetic conditions of the patients including the sad fate of those who await death in a settlement, only to be replaced by others like them if they are to be found dead on the following day.

Father Damien also relates to him about the stealing and robbery and some of the

confession

, decides to go there himself. However, he is only allowed to give the absolution on board the ship while Father Damien stays on a boat. Damien has gradually developed symptoms of the disease because of his closer caring for the patients.

The doctor leaves Damien as he finds the situation unbearable, and also because he wants to get married. But the doctor's absence is maintained by Brother Joseph Dutton whom Prof. Clifford sent there. One day the crown princess of Hawaii pays a visit promising help to the suffering. The government is however still reluctant to help Damien the way he needs. Once when the weather is not so calm the captain of a ship with lepers orders his crew to toss them to the sea. Father Damien tries desperately to save a few. Meanwhile, his disease develops to worse states and he is still not offered much help. However, a new priest arrives at Molokai to assist him later followed by nuns. Soon the desperate Father succumbs to death with a hope of joining his fellow members in heaven.

Cast

David Wenham as Father Damien
Liliʻuokalani
Jan Decleir as Bishop Köckerman
Chris Haywood as Clayton Strawn
Derek Jacobi as Father Leonor Fouesnel
Keanu Kapuni-Szasz as Malulani
Alice Krige as Mother Marianne Cope
Kris Kristofferson as Rudolph Meyer
Maigret
Sam Neill as Prime Minister Walter M. Gibson
Peter O'Toole as William Williamson
Dirk Roofthooft as Father Louis Lambert Conrardy
Tom Wilkinson as Brother Joseph Dutton
Aden Young as Dr. Kalewis
Kate Agnew as Sister Leopoldina Burns
Michael W. Perry as Dr. Trousseau

References

^ De Volder, Jan (2010). The Spirit of Father Damien: The Leper Priest-A Saint for Our Times. Ignatius Press. p. 73. Retrieved 3 November 2023.

External links

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien at
IMDb

Molokai: The Story of Father Damien at Rotten Tomatoes
Molokai at Oz Movies

[1] De Volder, Jan (2010). The Spirit of Father Damien: The Leper Priest-A Saint for Our Times. Ignatius Press. p. 73. Retrieved 3 November 2023.

[1]