Spike Lee introduced Pope Leo XIV with a New York Knicks jersey on Saturday because the US pope welcomed movie stars to the Vatican, the place he known as cinema a car of hope.
Greater than 100 movie trade professionals, whether or not actors, administrators or producers, had been acquired by the pope contained in the Apostolic Palace, together with Cate Blanchett, Alison Brie, Judd Apatow and Viggo Mortensen.
“His phrases had been extraordinary and I want cultural ministers all over the world would take heed. He talked about compassion and leaning into the issues of the world,” Blanchett advised journalists following the viewers.
Italians Monica Bellucci, Dario Argento and Matteo Garrone had been additionally onhand for the viewers with the pope, who shook arms individually with all of the invitees, together with director Lee, an ardent Knicks fan who introduced him with the basketball workforce’s jersey.
“He is the 14th Pope , so was quantity 14. And the again, it mentioned Pope Leo,” Lee mentioned afterwards, explaining that the Knicks had three gamers from Villanova College in Pennsylvania, which the previous Robert Prevost attended.
The 70-year-old pope, wearing white, advised the group that “when the magic mild of cinema illuminates the darkness, it concurrently ignites the eyes of the soul.”
“One among cinema’s most precious contributions helps audiences think about their very own lives, have a look at the complexity of their experiences with new eyes and study the world as if for the primary time. In doing so, they rediscover a portion of the hope that’s important for humanity to stay to the fullest,” he mentioned.
– ‘Heralds of humanity’ –
On Wednesday, the Vatican mentioned the invitation to the world of cinema was meant to discover “the probabilities that inventive creativity presents to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values”.
Forward of the viewers, Leo revealed his 4 favorite movies, most of them with hope as a central theme.
The movies had been: “It is a Fantastic Life”, by which an angel is shipped from heaven to assist a determined household man, the enduring musical “The Sound of Music”, Robert Redford’s household drama “Strange Individuals” and Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Lovely” , a few father making an attempt to protect his son from the horrors of a World Struggle II focus camp.
On Saturday, the pope known as the movie professionals “pilgrims of the creativeness” and “narrators of hope and heralds of humanity”.
Artists, he mentioned, had been “able to recognising magnificence even within the depths of ache, and of discerning hope within the tragedy of violence and warfare”.
“Don’t be afraid to confront the world’s wounds. Violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, dependancy and forgotten wars are points that must be acknowledged and narrated,” he mentioned.
“Good cinema doesn’t exploit ache; it recognises and explores it. That is what all the good administrators have carried out.”
Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, held the same occasion in June 2024 on the Vatican, inviting greater than 100 comedians, together with Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon.
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