Pope Leo XIV on Saturday welcomed more than 100 figures from the global film industry to the Apostolic Palace, calling on them to use cinema as a force for compassion, hope and human dignity.
Actors, directors and producers — including Cate Blanchett, Alison Brie, Judd Apatow, Viggo Mortensen, Monica Bellucci, Dario Argento and Matteo Garrone — were among those who met the pontiff during the special audience.
Speaking to journalists afterward, Blanchett described the Pope’s message as powerful and timely. “His words were extraordinary and I wish cultural ministers around the world would take heed. He talked about compassion and leaning into the problems of the world,” she said.
Inside the ornate hall, Pope Leo shook hands individually with all attendees. Dressed in white, he told the group that cinema has the rare ability to illuminate “the eyes of the soul,” helping audiences reflect on their own lives and rediscover hope.
“One of cinema’s most valuable contributions is helping audiences consider their own lives, look at the complexity of their experiences with new eyes and examine the world as if for the first time,” he said. “In doing so, they rediscover a portion of the hope that is essential for humanity to live to the fullest.”
‘Pilgrims of the Imagination’
According to the Vatican, the gathering was arranged to explore how artistic creativity can serve the Church’s mission and promote universal human values.
Earlier in the week, Pope Leo revealed his four favourite films — all of which carry strong themes of hope: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, and Roberto Benigni’s Life Is Beautiful, the 1997 classic about a father shielding his son from the horrors of a concentration camp.
On Saturday, the Pope described filmmakers as “pilgrims of the imagination,” “narrators of hope,” and “heralds of humanity.”
“Artists are capable of recognising beauty even in the depths of pain, and of discerning hope in the tragedy of violence and war,” he said. He urged them not to shy away from real-world suffering: “Violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction and forgotten wars are issues that need to be acknowledged and narrated. Good cinema does not exploit pain; it recognises and explores it.”
The event follows a similar audience held by Pope Francis in 2024, when comedians including Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon were invited to the Vatican for a discussion on the power of humour.
