Abbess. Artist. Composer. Healer.
Discover why The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard is the patron saint of creativity, and how her influence resonates today. The 12th-century abbess was a Christian mystic and visionary. She was also a musical composer, writer, and healer who created natural remedies widely used in Europe today.
Saint Hildegard is venerated worldwide by theologians, artists, musicians, medical practitioners, and educators. This film is a celebration of one woman’s legacy and a reminder that we should listen, seek calmness, and heed the calling of our souls while healing any unruliness that may exist underneath.
The filmmaker traveled internationally to capture many of the stories you will see in this beautifully visual, memorable, and inspiring film. The film evokes a calling: that sweet spot of creativity that we all yearn to discover and utilize, an inherent desire that is also deeply spiritual in nature. (65 Minutes)
A Monumental Figure of the Middle Ages
Saint Hildegard of Bingen (born 1098, Bermersheim vor der Höhe, Germany; died September 17, 1179, Bingen, Germany) was a Benedictine nun who founded two women’s monastic communities, wrote visionary treatises and multiple theological works, designed illustrations, interpreted the Bible, composed liturgical songs, and developed works on natural science and medicine.
Educated in the monastery and instructed through visions, Hildegard reached a level of literary and artistic production that was achieved by few men in the Middle Ages. She was named a Doctor of the Church in 2012 — one of only four women ever to receive that distinction.
Pioneer of Female Intellectualism
Hildegard is seen as a powerful muse, encouraging us to create magic in our own lives by allowing the ordinary to intersect with the divine. Her continued impact on theology, medicine, art, and music speaks to everyone — from academic scholars to spiritual seekers — and her voice remains as vital today as it was in the 12th century.
Michael M. Conti’s Journey as Filmmaker and Pilgrim
Michael M. Conti, the creator behind The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard, also journeyed along the Hildegard Way in Germany as a pilgrim-filmmaker. His diary entries about his years-long journey with Saint Hildegard von Bingen are available to read at sainthildegard.com — and may inspire you on your own journey with Hildegard.
The film probes why Hildegard — abbess, artist, composer, healer, and visionary — continues to captivate and inspire. With carefully crafted interviews filmed across multiple countries, the documentary explores her enduring impact and invites audiences to discover the calling she embodied: a deep, creative spirituality rooted in the natural world.
Life and Legacy as a Catalyst
What draws people to Hildegard across centuries and cultures? The film explores this question through the voices of theologians, musicians, medical practitioners, artists, and everyday seekers who have found in her life a mirror for their own. Her story is not merely historical — it is an ongoing invitation to listen, create, and awaken.
There is also a book made from a more recent film, Hildegard Speaks, that is available to support your pilgrimage with Saint Hildegard.
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