Posted: 06/29/2004

Saints + Sinners: A Love Story

(2004)

by Erin Paulson

A Documentary by Abigail Honor and Yan Vizinberg. Visit the official site.

Saints + Sinners tells the captivating story of two gay men, Edward DeBonis and Vincent Maniscalco, and their journey towards the Holy Sacrament of Marriage in New York City. Their story is different from the struggle that other gay couples face when they seek marriage, for they are not only seeking equal rights with their straight peers, but equality within their Catholic religion. It is this dynamic that makes Saints + Sinners unique and adds more urgency to the story.

As both men were raised Catholic and are both still very devout, marriage outside of the Catholic religion is not an option for them. I felt their frustration as Edward tries to no avail to locate a Catholic Church that will allow them to wed on their premises, and the injustice of it all as they are repeatedly turned down.

Although I realized of course that the couple would face many struggles, there were quite a few that surprised me. The mere act of having their wedding cake decorated with two grooms instead of the usual heterosexual pair is an important request, not a detail. At their service itself, the apprehension of their guests to accept communion from a gay Catholic priest denotes the impression that although the guests are supportive of Vincent and Edward, there is still a fear that homosexuality lessens the legitimacy of the priest. It also implies that although people can give valiant efforts in support for their gay friends and family members, asking them to go beyond that to accept their religious equality is harder than it should be for many.

Although the mere record of the hurdles the couple faced would make the documentary worthwhile, the most effective element of Saints + Sinners is its success in expressing the love Vincent and Edward feel for each other. The film stays levelheaded, telling their story as it is, and not overwhelming its audience with political propaganda, which is so easily done with a documentary such as this. The film is about Edward and Vincent, their love and their wedding, not a political message obliterating all other themes. Saints + Sinners is incredibly powerful in leading its audience to cheer on the couple, and encouraging them to hope the best for the Vincent and Edward, convincing them that they deserve all the rights of any other couple on their wedding day.

Saints + Sinners has screened at several film festivals, including the Boston Gay & Lesbian Film/Video Festival, and New Fest - New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

It had its theatrical premiere at Quad Cinema in New York City on June 18.

Erin Paulson is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker in Chicago.

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