From Spike Lee to Liliana Cavani, from Ferzan Özpetek to Monica Bellucci: a parade of movie stars will arrive at the Vatican on Saturday, November 15th in an encounter with the world of cinema planned as part of the year-long Roman Catholic Jubilee which ends in January, the Vatican said this week, also listing Leo's favourite films.
    As has happened in the past with painters and comedians who met Pope Francis, this time it will be Leo who will welcome actors, directors, and protagonists of the so-called seventh art to the Vatican Apostolic Palace.
    In anticipation of the meeting, Leone shared some titles that are significant to him in a video message.

Thus, it turns out that among his beloved films are It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Frank Capra; The Sound of Music (1965) by Robert Wise; Ordinary People (1980) by Robert Redford; and Life is Beautiful (1997) by Roberto Benigni.
    The meeting is promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication and the Vatican Museums.
    The world of cinema will be represented by many international figures.
    The Chicago-born pontiff Leo, who last week received Oscar winner Robert De Niro in the Vatican and earlier this year met another Oscar winner, Al Pacino, "has expressed a desire to deepen dialogue with the world of cinema, and in particular with actors and directors, exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values," reports the Vatican Dicastery for Culture.
    The meeting follows the events dedicated to the figurative arts (June 2023) and humor (June 2024), and is in continuity with the recent Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture, celebrated last February.
    On that occasion, a historic papal visit to the Cinecittà studios was also scheduled for February 17, but was later canceled due to Pope Francis's sudden hospitalization at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, ahead of his death on Apeil 21.
    Among the artists who will be present at the meeting with Pope Leo on Saturday the 15th are Gianni Amelio, Roberto Andò, Judd Apatow, Francesca Archibugi, Marco Bellocchio, Monica Bellucci, Wang Bing, Catherine Cate Blanchett, Stéphane Brizé, Sergio Castellitto, Liliana Cavani, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Abel Ferrara, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Matteo Garrone, Dag Johan Haugerund, Emir Nemanja Kusturica, Spike Lee, George Miller, Gaspar Noé, Ferzan Özpetek, Paweł Aleksander Pawlikowski, Giacomo Poretti, Stefania Sandrelli, Albert Serra, Giuseppe Tornatore, and Gus Van Sant.
    As well as De Niro and Pacino, Italian-American directing great Martin Scorsese is also close to the Catholic Church and is making a documentary featuring Franci's last interview.

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