Martin Scorsese announces film featuring "last extensive interview" with Pope Francis

Director Martin Scorsese is producing a documentary film co-created with Pope Francis, which will tell the story of the late pontiff's work with cinema in a global educational movement he launched before his death, and the filmmakers say it is the Pope's "last detailed interview" on camera, UNN reports, citing AP.

Details

"Aldeas - A New Story" will include conversations between Pope Francis and Scorsese, including what the filmmakers say is the Pope's "last detailed interview" on camera for the film. The documentary will detail the work of Scholas Occurrentes, a non-profit international organization founded by the Pope in 2013 to promote a "culture of encounter" among young people.

Part of the organization's work has included filmmaking as part of the Aldeas initiative. The documentary will feature young people from Indonesia, Italy and Gambia participating in Aldeas and making short films.

Aldeas Scholas Film and Scorsese's Sikelia Productions, which announced the documentary on Wednesday, said the film is "a testament to the enduring belief that creativity is not only a means of expression, but also a path to hope and transformation."

Before his death, Pope Francis called Aldeas "an extremely poetic and very constructive project, because it touches the roots of human life, human communicability, human conflicts... the essence of the path of life."

The release date of the film has not been announced.

"Now, more than ever, we need to talk to each other, to listen to each other in a cross-cultural way," Scorsese said in a statement. "It was important to Pope Francis that people around the world exchange ideas with respect, while preserving their cultural identity, and film is the best way to do that."

Addition

Scorsese has met with Pope Francis many times over the years, and their conversations have sometimes inspired the work that the 82-year-old director has done on the films "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Silence." After meeting with Pope Francis in 2023, Scorsese announced that he would make another film about Jesus, although this adaptation of Shusaku Endo's "Life of Jesus" has not yet begun production. Last fall, Scorsese released an eight-part documentary series for Fox Nation called "Martin Scorsese Presents: Saints."

Francis died on April 21, and the conclave to elect a new Pope is scheduled to begin on May 7.

Vatican has confirmed that the conclave to elect a new Pope will begin on May 728.04.25, 15:00 • 16083 views