''I Was a Parish Priest'' or ''God's War'' (Spanish:''La guerra de Dios'') is a 1953 Spanish

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Rafael Gil Rafael Gil (22 May 1913 – 10 July 1986) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. His film ''La guerra de Dios'' (1953) won the Bronze Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1953 and also won best film and best director at the San Sebastián ...

and starring

Claude Laydu Claude Laydu (; 10 March 1927 – 29 July 2011) was a Belgian-born Swiss actor on stage and in films. He was renowned for his performance in his film debut in the role of the young priest in Robert Bresson's '' Diary of a Country Priest'' (1951 ...

Francisco Rabal Francisco Rabal Valera (8 March 1926 – 29 August 2001), better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter born in Águilas, a town in the south-western part of the province of Murcia, Spain. Throughout his career, Raba ...

and

José Marco Davó José Marco Davó (1895–1974) was a Spanish film actor.Pitts p.307 Selected filmography * ''Es mi hombre'' (1934) * ''Don Quintín el amargao'' (1935) - Nicasio * ''La última falla'' (1940) * ''Whirlwind'' (1941) - Portero * '' Dawn of Americ ...

.Bentley p.121 It was awarded the Gran Premio at the first ever

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in ...

. It was also shown at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

where it was awarded the Bronze Lion. It portrays the efforts of a young Priest sent to a poor mining village in the early 1930s.

Synopsis

A priest receives as his first assignment the parish of a mining town, beset by poverty. In this area he will focus all his forces to overcome the resentment accumulated by the miners towards the ecclesiastical profession.

Cast

* Claude Laydu as P. Andrés Mendoza *

as Martín * José Marco Davó as Don César * Fernando Sancho as Barrona *

Gérard Tichy Gerard Tichy (also Gérard Tichy, Gerhard Tichi and Gerardo Tichy, 11 March 1920 – 11 April 1992) was a Spanish actor of German descent, who appeared in numerous movies, including several international productions. He was born in Weißenfels ...

as El Negro * Alberto Romea * Carmen Rodríguez * Ricardo Calvo * Julia Caba Alba as Hermana de D. César *

Félix Dafauce Félix Dafauce (13 November 1896 – 5 October 1990) was a Spanish film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1925 and 1987. He was born and died in Madrid, Spain. Selected filmography * ''When the Angels Sleep'' (1947) * ''Dawn of Ame ...

Milagros Leal Milagros Leal (2 December 1902 – 2 March 1975) was a Spanish actress. Selected theatrical works * ''La estrella de Justina'' (1925) * ''Mariquilla Terremoto'' (1930). * ''Anacleto se divorcia'' (1932). * ''La propia estimación'' (1941) * ''L ...

Mariano Azaña Mariano Azaña (1896–1965) was a Spanish film actor.Soria p.179 Partial filmography * ''El milagro del Cristo de la Vega'' (1941) * ''Primer amor'' (1942) * ''¿Por qué vivir tristes?'' (1942) * ''Todo por ellas'' (1942) * ''Schottis'' (1943) ...

as Fermín, el cartero * José Sepúlveda *

Manuel Kayser Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * M ...

Arturo Marín Arturo is a Spanish and Italian variant of the name Arthur. People *Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985), American-born Salvadoran footballer * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1959), Mexican footballer * Arthuro Henrique Bernhardt (b. 1982), B ...

* José Manuel Martín * José Miguel Rupert * Félix Briones * María Eugenia Escrivá as Margarita *

Jaime Blanch Jaime Blanch Montijano (born 1940) is a Spanish film and television actor.Goble p.90 Selected filmography * ''I Was a Parish Priest'' (1953) * ''Jeromin'' (1953) * '' An Andalusian Gentleman'' (1954) * '' An Angel Has Arrived'' (1961) * '' La ...

as Daniel * Carlos Acevedo as Niño * Juan José Vidal as Niño

References

Bibliography

* Bentley, Bernard. ''A Companion to Spanish Cinema''. Boydell & Brewer 2008.

External links

* 1953 drama films Spanish drama films 1953 films 1950s Spanish-language films Films directed by Rafael Gil Films set in Spain Films set in the 1930s Cifesa films Films about Catholicism Films about Catholic priests Spanish black-and-white films 1950s Spanish films {{1950s-Spain-film-stub