Flavia, the Heretic (1974)

After a cult besieges her convent, a young nun goes with an army of Muslims to destroy the convent and kill who wronged her.

Director:

Gianfranco Mingozzi

Writers:

Bruno Di Geronimo (screenplay), Gianfranco Mingozzi (screenplay)

Stars:

Florinda Bolkan, María Casares, Claudio Cassinelli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Florinda Bolkan	...	Flavia Gaetani
María Casares	...	Sister Agatha
Claudio Cassinelli	...	Abraham
Anthony Higgins	...	Ahmed (as Anthony Corlan)
Spyros Fokas	...	the French Duke (as Spiros Focás)
Diego Michelotti	...	Flavia's Father
Raika Juri	...	Sister Livia
Jill Pratt	...	Mother Superior
Franca Grey	...	Village Girl
Laura De Marchi	...	Tarantula Cult Woman
Eduardo Filipone
Ciro Ippolito
Carla Mancini
Luigi Antonio Guerra
Giuseppe Pertile	...	Bishop

Storyline

Italy 1600: A convent of nuns are invaded by the Tarantula Sect on their annual pilgrimage. The cultists defile the place of worship, orgying in the chapel and desecrating the altar. One nun decides she can't take the religious oppression any longer and flees the convent upset that all the leaders are male.

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Plot Keywords:

female empowerment | sexploitation | convent | nun | tarantula | 

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Taglines:

She Launched A River of BLOOD

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

January 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flavia: Heretic Priestess

Filming Locations:

Santa Maria di Colonna, Trani, Bari, Apulia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinéphonic, Produzioni Atlas Consorziate (P.A.C.), R.O.C.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 101 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The movie takes place in Italy circa 1400. At one moment Flavia and Abraham are on the beach eating roasted ears of corn.

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Quotes

Flavia Gaetani: [addressing Christ on the cross] Why... why? Why is God male? The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost - all male. Even the twelve apostles. All twelve of them - males.

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Alternate Versions

The 1994 UK Redemption video was cut by 1 min 24 secs by the BBFC with edits to topless nudity, the rape of the swine-herder's daughter, a nun's breast being burnt and her nipple cut off and shots of Flavia peeling skin from an ankle wound during the flaying scene, as well as heavy edits to a horse being castrated. The 2008 Shameless DVD was fully uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Unidentified Flying Oddball (2017)

User Reviews

Brutal Nunsploitation

In 1400, in Puglia, Southern Italy, the nobleman father of Flavia (Florinda Bolkan) beheads her lover and locks her away in a seaside convent. Flavia questions the submissive treatment of women and is submitted to the repressive Catholic system in the convent. When Flavia has the chance, she flees from the convent with the Jew friend Abraham (Claudio Cassinelli). However, they are captured by her father and Flavia is whipped and Abraham is imprisoned in the dungeons. During the Musulman invasion of Italy, Flavia becomes the lover of their Muslin leader Ahmed (Anthony Corlan) and uses him to revenge against the nuns that have humiliated her and her father.

I was curious to see this 1978 movie of nunsploitation, not because I am fan of this subgenre of exploitation film, but because of the Brazilian Florinda Bolkan. "Flavia, la Monaca Musulmana" is a brutal nunsploitation, associating the usual themes of sexual repression and religious oppression with revenge. There is no historical background and most of the situations are only pretext for nudity, torture and violence. Now I am satisfied but this film is only recommended to very specific audiences since it is very offensive specially for religious viewers. In the Extras of the DVD, there is an interview with Florinda Bolkan. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Flávia, a Freira Muçulmana" ("Flavia, the Muslin Nun")