Faith in a higher power can manifest itself in unique ways. In Elizabeth Mirzaei’s enlightening documentary Natalia, faith is personified in its titular charismatic subject as she trains for the sisterhood in the Byzantine Catholic church. For most men and women of faith, they’re called into the life because they view it as just that – a calling. But for Natalia, a 29-year old from rural Ohio, the answer is more complicated.

When I was 29, I was still figuring out my future, toiling between jobs and wondering what I would do to sustain my long-term happiness. Natalia has just received her master’s degree in engineering in Colorado, so she’s certainly not at a loss for options. She admits early on that she’s always had a long-standing fondness for dating men and a yearning for childbearing, and even began dating someone when first considering a life of chastity. So why, given all of the evidence to the contrary, should she devote the rest of her young life to serving her chosen faith?

Mirzaei spends the 76 minutes of Natalia taking a step back, letting Natalia’s life play out naturally, and it’s a fascinating creative decision. Without talking heads, and without any non-ambient music – save for a few scant moments – we’re fully immersed in Natalia’s reality as she learns the ins and outs of life in the sisterhood. She may still be able to indulge in her Star Trek fandom from time to time, but she’ll mostly be devoted to prayer with her fellow sisters.

It’s that contrast of the traditional with the modern which gives the film its subtle brilliance. Natalia’s spiritual advisor of sorts, Father Michael, brings her on the church’s podcast as a guest to further examine not just what led her to the church but her trepidations around her commitment. But Natalia isn’t just conflicted internally; she’s receiving a number of mixed signals from outside sources as well. Her parents are lovely and supportive, but one powerful scene shows her listening to a voicemail from a former colleague who hopes she’ll reconsider and realize how much good she can do in the world with her engineering expertise. Indeed, devoting one’s life to the church is often referred to throughout the film as “death” – the death of the secular life.

The clash between science and religion has provided a great deal of debate since the time of Galileo, and it’s rendered through a uniquely modern lens here. Crucially, the film does not deal in absolutes: the church is not inherently robbing Natalia of something, nor is her secular life inherently better. Mirzaei’s personal touches in her filming style – along with shooting everything in black and white and a square aspect ratio – and her even-handed approach, help to make Natalia not only a smartly rendered character study, but one of the best films of the year so far.

Natalia was screened as part of the 2024 Indy Film Fest. Buy tickets here.