Pope Leo will meet with a collection of high-profile names from across the film and TV industry at the Vatican on Saturday.
Among the invited group are Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Judd Apatow, Marco Bellocchio, Monica Bellucci, Wang Bing, Gus Van Sant, and Abel Ferrara.
In a statement, the Vatican said Pope Leo aims to “deepen dialogue with the World of Cinema, and in particular with actors and directors” to explore “the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values.”
Ahead of the event, Pope Leo has published four of his favorite films. Those titles are: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) by Frank Capra; The Sound of Music (1965) by Robert Wise; Ordinary People (1980) by Robert Redford; and Life Is Beautiful (1997) by Roberto Benigni.
Filmmakers and actors frequently visit the Vatican. Earlier this year, Al Pacino met Pope Leo in Rome. Pacino met the Pope alongside Andrea Iervolino, the Italian producer behind Maserati: The Brothers, a biopic on Italy’s legendary Maserati family that stars Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, and Andy Garcia.
Iervolino described the meeting as a moment of “profound spiritual and cultural inspiration, centered around shared values that lie at the heart of both the Catholic Church and the film: family unity, love, compassion, and the importance of contributing to the common good” in a statement.
Before his passing, Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, held a screening of Io Capitano (Me Captain) at the Vatican.
Source link
