The real-life couple discussed the power of faith in their upcoming film in which they portray Mary Magdelene and Jesus
Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix are getting close to God in their latest film.
In a PEOPLE exclusive clip, the two actors portray Mary Magdalene and Jesus of Nazareth, respectively, in their upcoming film Mary Magdalene.
The film follows the free-spirited woman who flees her arranged marriage and finds refuge among a rabble-rousing preacher named Jesus.
Mary becomes the only woman in his band of disciples and defies the prejudices of a patriarchal society as she undergoes a spiritual awakening.
In the clip, Mary is visited by Jesus after her family claims she is grappling “with a demon.”
“If there is a demon in me, it’s always been there. I wish there was a demon,” she admits.
Confused, he asks her, “Why? What is it you fear in yourself?”
“My thoughts. My longings, my unhappiness,” she says. “I fear that I shame my family. I do shame them. I’m not as I was supposed to be.”
Revealing she feels unfulfilled in her life, Mary says she longs “to know God.”
“It’s always been there,” Jesus tells her. “All it needs is your faith.”
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The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tahar Rahim, Denis Menochet and Ariane Labed.
Mara and Phoenix have been romantically linked since meeting on the set of Mary Magdalene. The two were reportedly seen spending time together on and off set while filming last fall, including an outing on their Italian hotel’s balcony where they were seen hanging out while smoking.
In May, the two made their relationship awards-ceremony official when they jointly attended the Cannes Film Festival’s closing-night ceremony. Phoenix revealed in 2017 the pair are living together in Los Angeles.
Mary Magdalene is in theaters April 12 and On Digital and On Demand on April 19.