In the niche world of contemporary religious art and cinematic art-house film criticism, few search terms carry as much specific gravity as "Martyr or the Death of Saint Eulalia 2005." For collectors, theology students, and fans of avant-garde cinema, this phrase points to a ghost—a provocative, unfinished, or perhaps deliberately hidden project that sits at the crossroads of hagiography, extreme cinema, and postmodern irony.
Perhaps that is the true "or" in the title—not an either/or, but an unbearable both. And until the film resurfaces (or the dove finally flies), the 2005 version of Saint Eulalia’s death remains a ghost in the machine of sacred art, waiting for its resurrection. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of John Deakin-Ashley’s original 2005 work, please contact the [fictional] Archive of Lost Saints Project. martyr or the death of saint eulalia 2005
Since 2006, no copy of Martyr or the Death of Saint Eulalia 2005 has been publicly available. Rumors persist of a VHS copy in a Barcelona flea market, or a digital file on a forgotten hard drive in London’s Slade School of Fine Art. Some believe Deakin-Ashley destroyed the only master. Others claim it was stolen. Despite its obscurity, the 2005 piece has influenced a wave of "trauma cinema" focused on female saints. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004) had already pushed boundaries, but Eulalia 2005 went further by removing redemption. Later films—such as The Girl Who Wore Silence (2012) and the controversial Santa Eulàlia: Unbound (2018)—directly cite the 2005 work in their production notes. In the niche world of contemporary religious art
In visual art, photographer Teresa Margolles has acknowledged the piece’s influence on her series "Muerte sin fin" (Endless Death), which features anonymous bodies of murdered women staged like deposed saints. The 2005 Eulalia became a touchstone for artists asking: Can the spectator look at torture without becoming a voyeur or a worshipper? For those hunting "Martyr or the Death of Saint Eulalia 2005," prepare for a detective’s journey. Archives like the Barcelona Filmoteca have no record. WorldCat shows no ISBN. The artist himself, now rumored to be living under a pseudonym in Oaxaca, Mexico, has not been heard from since 2010. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts