May 22, 2010. Between the backstage and the movie set, you can find Scottish Blessed Duns Scotus. Scotus was a leading philosopher, theologian and professor in the 13th century.
Now, the Franciscans of the Immaculate want to showcase the life of this member of the order, on the silver screen.
Fr. Alfonso Maria Angelo Bruno
Director
“We believe in the importance and the value of the seventh art, it can help evangelize and build a culture based on values that can coexist. We believe that all art should be respected and admired, like a universal language.”
John Paul II beatified Duns Scotus in 1993. Scotus defined Christ’s humanity and developed the theological basis for the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pius IX in 1854.
The 90 minute movie, was filmed entirely in Italy. It will be seen on TV and for the first time in the history of cinema, will include a full recitation of the Hail Mary. About 100 people, many of whom are not Catholic, worked on the project.
Adriano Braidotti
Actor, Duns Scotus
“The first thing father Alfonso told me when we met was “Hail Mary”. I was at a bar in Rome, sipping a cappuccino, it was 7:30 in the morning. I told him, ‘I don’t think I can do this’. Then he said, yes you can, and that’s how it all started.”
Fr. Alfonso Maria Angelo Bruno
Director
“I’ve tried to humanize the world of cinema. A world that sometimes feels removed from spirituality and from any kind of religion. I’ve celebrated mass every day during filming. The first day, only three people came, the last day about 30 people attended, and one some even walked into the confessional.”
The film is only the beginning of a series that the Franciscans want to produce, in order to promote the lives of some of the holiest people, around the world. The next protagonist will be an Italian couple who had 13 children. The couple is currently on the path to beatification.
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