Supernatural – Hot Docs 2025
April 24 to May 4, 2025
FILM FESTIVAL
Hot Docs
Hot Docs 2025
PROGRAMME
World Showcase
The son of a popular spiritual healer has to deal with his conflicted feelings when he is asked to attend a ceremony in Supernatural. André Malby was an infamous spiritual healer and shaman, who many claim cured people telepathically. One of these people is actor Anna Alarcón, who believes Malby cured her of teenage anorexia without even meeting her. Anna plans to have a ceremony at the cave where Malby died, and she writes his estranged son Mathurin, who moved to the United States with his mother Danielle over three decades ago. This results in Mathu being forced to confront the conflicted feelings he has about his father and the claim that he had supernatural powers.
Supernatural Synopsis
Supernatural is a documentary directed by Ventura Durall, which explores two subjects with very conflicting opinions of the French spiritual healer André Malby. Spanish actor Anna Alarcón strongly believes that some sort of mystical force cured her of anorexia. Meanwhile, Malby’s son Mathu has become the antithesis of his father, taking a 100% scientific stance and drawing the line that there was anything supernatural about what his father did.
My Thoughts on Supernatural
There is a moment around the midway point of Supernatural, where the story of the film makes a very sudden change of direction. The film ends up less about the fact that André Malby was a spiritual healer and more about his son Mathu confronting the reasons for their estrangement, particularly the infidelities that resulted in Malby’s divorce from Mathu’s mother Danielle, who would later die of cancer. Sadly, Supernatural all but drops the film’s second subject, Anna Alarcón, who was also trying to get answers in her way. That said, Supernatural is still worth checking out for how it turns a mysticism vs science debate into a story about a son trying to understand his father.
Trailer for Supernatural – Hot Docs 2025
