VATICAN CITY, Nov 16 (Reuters): Pope Leo hosted a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers at the Vatican, telling them that cinemas around the world face a “troubling decline” and need urgent support to survive. He said the shared experience of watching films must be protected, especially as digital overload changes how people consume stories.
Pope Says Cinema Is a “Workshop of Hope”
Actors Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Viggo Mortensen attended the private audience. Directors Spike Lee, Gus Van Sant and Sally Potter were also part of the delegation.
Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, told them that cinema remains a vital “workshop of hope” during a time of global uncertainty. He said many cinemas are disappearing from cities and neighbourhoods.
He urged institutions to defend the cultural and social value of film. Box office revenues in many countries remain far below pre-pandemic levels, and the United States and Canada reported their weakest summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown.
Pope Urges Filmmakers to Resist “Logic of Algorithms”
The pope also warned that constant digital stimulation risks reducing storytelling to what algorithms predict will succeed.
He said, “The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible.”
Pope Leo encouraged filmmakers to defend slowness, silence and differences whenever they serve the story.
Cinema Can Explore Human Pain With Honesty
Pope Leo said cinema, now in its 130th year, has evolved into a medium capable of exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Entering a theatre, he said, is like crossing a threshold where imagination widens and pain can take on new meaning.
He also urged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty. Good cinema, he said, “does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it.”
Blanchett, Spike Lee and Others Respond
Australia’s Cate Blanchett said the pope’s message was a clear call to embrace difficult and painful stories.
Filmmaker Spike Lee met the pope and presented him with a New York Knicks basketball jersey printed with “Pope Leo 14.” Lee said the invitation surprised him but described the meeting as “a great day.”
The pope also praised behind-the-scenes workers, calling filmmaking a collective craft in which no one is self-sufficient.
Pope Shares His Favourite Films
Ahead of the event, the Vatican released four of Pope Leo’s favourite movies:
• The Sound of Music
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Ordinary People
• Life Is Beautiful
The gathering ended with each guest meeting the pope individually and presenting small gifts.
This news was originally published by Reuters.