The subject of religious extremism has engendered powerful films in recent years – from Haim Tabakman’s study of an unorthodox relationship between two ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, Eyes Wide Open to Abderrahmane Sissako’s striking Timbuktu about the influence of fundamentalist Muslims in Mali, which will be on release in the spring. Catholicism has provided ample material over the years – from the hysteria of Ken Russell’s The Devils to the depiction of various abuses done in the name of the Church in recent years. At first glance, the calm affluence of a German town seems an unlikely setting for a drama that merits the title Stations of the Cross. The film begins with Maria (Lea van Acken), a 14-year-old preparing for her Confirmation in a small group l