A scene from "In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis," a Magnolia Pictures release (© Vatican Media archival footage/Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
by Joshua J. McElwee
A new film set for release in the U.S. on March 31 will offer American theatergoers a unique and up-close view of Pope Francis' travels to countries across the world since 2013.
"In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis" is directed by Italian American filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi and assembles footage from the pope's visits to 53 countries in the first nine years of his papacy, often placing the viewer at Francis' side.
Magnolia Pictures, the film's U.S. distributor, is offering NCR readers an exclusive first look at the project's official American trailer.
In the preview, viewers are situated next to Francis as he leaves a note in Jerusalem's wailing wall in 2014, as he greets residents of the Philippine island of Tacloban amidst a tropical storm in 2015, and as he speaks at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, in 2019.
"The documentary grants rare access … creating a dialogue between footage of Francis' travels, images taken by Rosi himself, recent history, and the state of the world today," Magnolia said in an exclusive news release to NCR.
"In Viaggio" originally premiered out of competition at the 2022 edition of the Venice Film Festival, and was released theatrically in Italy in October. It is set to release simultaneously to U.S. theaters and streaming services on March 31.
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Rosi was previously nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards for his 2016 documentary "Fire at Sea," which focused on the European migrant crisis.
His 2013 film "Sacro GRA," exploring the communities that live near Rome's primary ring-road highway, was the first documentary to win the Venice Film Festival's prestigious Golden Lion award.
His 2020 film "Notturno" ("Night") was shot over the course of three years and told the stories of people in conflict zones in Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan and Lebanon.
