Requiem

Events occur in the present day, blending university life with medical appointments and religious rituals. The era allows for modern medical testing and treatment, but intensifies family- and faith-driven conflict. Seasonal markers like winter holidays and Christmas ground the timeline in a recognizable contemporary calendar.

The story unfolds across a modern university setting, a quiet lakeside town, and a close-knit family home. Campus life frames Michaela's academic ambitions and social interactions, while the family home anchors the pressure to conform to a strict Catholic faith. The lakeside and church visits provide intimate backdrops for personal crisis, medical tests, and spiritual encounters.

🙏 Faith vs Science

Michaela's epileptic episodes are interpreted through a religious lens, pitting exorcism and prayer against medical explanations. The priests and parents demand faith-driven cures while doctors push diagnosis and treatment. The tension exposes how belief systems can both comfort and endanger a vulnerable person when science is sidelined.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Pressure

The film centers on a family unit that enforces Catholic tradition and communal expectations. Parents wrestle between protecting their daughter and allowing independence, often turning to prayer as a solution. Siblings and peers become entangled in the pressure, amplifying the sense of surveillance and control.

🧠 Mental Health

Epilepsy and perceived possession drive stigma and secrecy within Michaela's circle. The refusal to acknowledge medical needs leads to escalating crises and exhaustion. Attempts to seek psychiatric help and medical reassurance clash with religious insistence on prayer.

⛪ Religious Rituals

Exorcism attempts and church visits punctuate the narrative, framing the family as a microcosm of faith-based intervention. Priests weigh evidence and propriety, sometimes opposing each other, which heightens uncertainty. The home becomes a stage for ritualized healing that ultimately fails Michaela.