REVIEW: God As My Witness | 33rd Raindance Film Festival
- Jenna Cockburn
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
"brave and quietly blistering."
A Legacy of Silence
Lindsay Q. Pitre’s debut feature documentary dives headfirst into the harrowing legacy of clerical abuse in New Orleans. God As My Witness is an unflinching account of trauma, loss, and one family’s relentless pursuit of truth, following the story of Michael Brandner Sr. as he uncovers a series of disturbing letters from priest Brian Highfill to his late brother, Scot -letters discovered only after Scot’s suicide in the 1990s. This revelation becomes a catalyst for Brandner’s mission to expose not just Highfill, but the broader culture of denial and evasion within the Archdiocese of New Orleans, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020 amidst mounting abuse claims.
Stillness That Speaks Volumes
Pitre’s directorial style is restrained but powerful. She avoids heavy-handed dramatics in favour of thoughtful pacing, lingering imagery, and intimate, emotionally charged interviews. Quiet moments - like a slow pan across an empty church or the camera resting on Brandner’s face as he reads the priest’s letters - land with devastating effect. The visual storytelling mirrors the emotional landscape of survivors: fractured, unresolved, but still reaching for light.
A Chorus of Truth
The documentary smartly widens its lens, featuring other survivors, advocates, and legal professionals who have battled to hold the church accountable. The film also highlights how institutional systems continue to delay, diminish, or deflect responsibility - particularly through the Archdiocese’s use of bankruptcy proceedings to limit exposure and damages.
These voices aren’t just contributors; they form a powerful chorus calling for justice.
When the System Protects Itself
While the film excels emotionally, it does occasionally get bogged down in the complexities of legal language. The finer details of U.S. bankruptcy law and ecclesiastical politics might leave some viewers needing a quick Google. A lack of consistent on-screen name tags also makes it tricky to follow the array of legal and journalistic voices throughout. Still, the documentary doesn’t lose its emotional grip - and the ambiguity reflects the unresolved reality survivors continue to live with.
Unfinished, Unflinching
God As My Witness offers no neat resolutions - and that’s the point. The fight is ongoing, the wounds still open, and the silence from those in power is deafening. Instead, Pitre provides space. Space to be heard, to be believed, and to speak truth to institutions that would rather look away.
Final Verdict: A Testament of Truth
A brave and quietly blistering documentary, God As My Witness marks Lindsay Q. Pitre as a filmmaker to watch. This is storytelling with weight, urgency, and compassion.
It’s not just a film - it’s a reckoning.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
World Premiere at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival 26th - 27th June 2025.
FILM DETAILS
World Premiere: 26th June 2025
TL;DR: Decades after losing his brother, a man begins to uncover dark secrets within the Archdiocese of New Orleans, exposing a generations-long cover-up. The quest for truth soon leads into one of the largest U.S. archdiocese bankruptcies, as survivors reveal their haunting stories of betrayal, sexual abuse, and corruption in the Crescent City.
Director: Lindsay Q. Pitre
Cast: Michael Brandner, Sr., Richard Trahant, Ramon Antonio Vargas, Thomas P. Doyle
Genres: Documentary
Run time: 82 Minutes
Cert: -
