Blog: 2019-10-15 - Of Love and Other Demons
Summary
In 18th-century Colombia, Sierva María, the twelve-year-old daughter of a neglectful Marquis, is bitten by a rabid dog. Though she shows no signs of contracting the disease, the incident triggers panic among the authorities and clergy. Her parents, who have ignored her upbringing in favor of the household slaves, are ill-equipped to handle the situation, and the Church eventually concludes that Sierva María is possessed by a demon.
She is imprisoned in a convent for exorcism, where she meets Father Cayetano Delaura, the priest assigned to her case. Instead of seeing a demon, Delaura is captivated by the young girl, and the two fall into a deep, forbidden, and tragic love. Their relationship is ultimately destroyed by the rigid demands of the Church, leading to tragic consequences that leave both, and especially Sierva María, caught in a cycle of suffering and isolation.