The Vatican has disclosed Pope Leo XIV’s favourite films, which include classics such as The Sound of Music and It’s a Wonderful Life, ahead of his upcoming meeting with the world of cinema on Saturday, 15 November.
In total, the Vatican shared four titles it considers the “most significant films” for Leo XIV:
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – directed by Frank Capra
The Christmas classic stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has sacrificed his dreams out of responsibility and generosity. Feeling like a failure, he contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve, prompting the intervention of his guardian angel (Henry Travers), who shows him all the good he has done for others.
The Sound of Music (1965) – directed by Robert Wise
Set in Austria in 1938, the film follows a postulant at a convent (Julie Andrews) who is sent to the home of Captain von Trapp, a widowed retired naval officer (Christopher Plummer), to be governess to his seven children. She brings love and music to the family and eventually marries the captain. When von Trapp refuses a commission in the Nazi navy, the family makes a dramatic escape from Austria.
Ordinary People (1980) – directed by Robert Redford
This drama depicts the breakdown of a wealthy Illinois family following the accidental death of one son and the suicide attempt of the other. The film stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton.
Life Is Beautiful (1997) – directed by Roberto Benigni
Benigni plays Guido Orefice, an Italian Jewish bookstore owner who uses his imagination to shield his young son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Benigni’s own father had spent two years in a prisoner-of-war camp.
Nov. 15 Meeting with the World of Cinema
The audience will take place at 11 a.m. Rome time in the Apostolic Palace of Vatican City, according to a statement from the Dicastery for Culture and Education, in collaboration with the Vatican Museums.
This event follows previous meetings with the visual arts (June 2023), comedy (June 2024), and the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture (February 2025).
The Vatican statement emphasised that Pope Leo XIV “has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the world of cinema, particularly with actors and directors, exploring the ways in which artistic creativity can serve the mission of the Church and promote human values.”
Actors and Directors Who Will Attend
Confirmed attendees include Italian actresses Monica Bellucci, known for her role as Mary Magdalene in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and Maria Grazia Cucinotta (Il Postino, The World Is Not Enough).
Also present will be American actress Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings, The Aviator), African-American director Spike Lee, directors Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Elephant), Australian director George Miller, creator of the Mad Max saga, and Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, whose Cinema Paradiso won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1989.If you like, I can also create an even punchier, one-line clickbait headline that will draw maximum attention online. Do you want me to do that?