Martin Scorsese’s new film “Aldeas, the Last Dream of Pope Francis” will be screened privately at the Vatican on Tuesday, one year after the Pope’s death.
Scholas Occurrences, a global Catholic education movement founded by the late Pope Francis, has released several first-look images of the film, which Scorsese and his team shot in Italy, Indonesia, the African nation of Gambia, and Vatican City. According to the synopsis, “Ardeas” features the last never-before-seen testimony of Pope Francis, recorded shortly before his death.
“At its core, it is a film in which entire communities come together to create and share their own stories, including one in which director Martin Scorsese returns to his grandfather’s village in Sicily, where he works with local youth to make their own films,” the synopsis reads.
Aldeas is described as a “powerful fusion of Pope Francis and Martin Scorsese’s visions of art, spirituality, and humanity” that “moves beyond traditional cinema, transforming storytelling into acts of resistance, identity, and purpose, and positioning cinema as a new cultural force.”
Provided by: Sikelia Productions
Promotional materials for the film go on to say that Aldeas is rooted in the vision of Pope Francis, who described it as an “extraordinarily poetic and deeply transformative project because it goes to the very root of human life: our sociability, our conflicts, and the nature of our life journey.”
The statement continued: “Pope Francis understood that film plays a fundamental role in realizing a culture of encounter. This project works from the margins, creating spaces where people can tell their stories, and celebrating cultural diversity while promoting intercultural and intergenerational dialogue. This is a new kind of film that comes from a new kind of education and contributes to the formation of a new culture.”
On April 21, exactly one year since Pope Francis’ death, “Aldeas” will be screened just a stone’s throw from where the Pope lived and ended his life.
“This film is a tribute to the Pope,” Scorsese said in a statement. “This work honors his memory by embodying his missionary spirit and his dream of creating a more humane culture, which I believe is not just a dream at this moment in history, but a necessity.”
In an interview with Variety last June at the Taormina Film Festival, Scorsese said of the Sicilian elements of the project: “I think in a way, for me, it (the connection to Sicily) combined with my religious experience, encouraged my curiosity and exploration of my own identity. Who I am.”
“Aldeas” is produced by Aldeas Scolas Films in association with Scorsese’s own Sikelia Productions and Massive Owl Productions. Producers include Scorsese, Teresa Rebellat, Ezequiel del Corral and Alfonso Gómez-Rejon, with Lisa Frechette, Romilda De Luca, Ariel Chuck and Ariel Broitman serving as executive producers.
Directors Claire Taverner and Johnny Shipley lead the creative team alongside producer Amy Foster. Renowned cinematographers Ellen Klass and Salvatore Totino also contributed to the film.
The project features collaborations with internationally recognized artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, representing Africa, Asia and Europe, respectively, including actor Babu Ceesay, actress Happy Salma and Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore.
This film and the wider project are independently funded by international sponsors and donors, ensuring that all proceeds are reinvested to sustain and expand this initiative globally.
LBI Entertainment and Double Agent are in charge of sales for “Aldeas”.
Provided by: Sikelia Productions
