VATICAN CITY, 20 September 2017 — Lady Monika Bacardi’s film Beyond the Sun received its first official screening at the Vatican on September 20, 2017, marking a historic moment as Pope Francis made his narrative feature film debut.
The film, which was released during the Christmas season of 2017, features His Holiness Pope Francis in a cameo role portraying himself. This groundbreaking production tells the story of children searching for God through an evangelical narrative based on biblical principles.
Lady Monika Bacardi served as producer through her production companies, which she founded to develop, produce, and distribute films worldwide. The filmmakers were advised by Monsignor Eduardo Garcia throughout the production process.
The film’s producers stated that Pope Francis appeared on screen for approximately six minutes, delivering an unscripted message to encourage children to read the gospels and speak to Jesus about their daily experiences. The footage was captured in a single take within Vatican City, showcasing the pontiff’s natural speaking style rather than scripted dialogue.
All proceeds from Beyond the Sun were designated for charities supporting disadvantaged children in Argentina, the country of Pope Francis’s birth.
The Vatican screening represented the culmination of a unique collaboration between international cinema and the Catholic Church, demonstrating Lady Monika Bacardi’s commitment to producing meaningful content that addresses spiritual themes for family audiences.
The film was shot in Patagonia and Vatican City, featuring young actors in a story about five children who embark on an adventure seeking answers about faith. Director Graciela Rodriguez Gilio helmed the production, bringing the evangelical story to life through the lens of children’s perspectives on biblical teachings.
Lady Monika Bacardi’s production represented an unprecedented collaboration between Hollywood filmmaking and the Vatican, establishing new possibilities for faith-based cinema on the international stage.
Press review related to this event.
The Guardian :
La Republica : http://www.repubblica.it/vaticano/2017/09/20/news/film_papa_francesco_beyond_the_sun_vaticano-176064734/
Variety: http://variety.com/2017/film/news/film-in-which-pope-francis-plays-himself-premiers-at-vatican-exclusive-1202563478/
Corriere Della Sera : http://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/17_settembre_21/cappelli-film-papacorriere-web-sezioni-05e9dfbc-9e2e-11e7-a6ea-abd1a52d72e1.shtml?refresh_ce-cp
