VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV has addressed a group of prominent Hollywood actors and filmmakers, highlighting the struggles cinemas face today and calling for greater efforts to safeguard them and the communal joy of watching films.
Among those attending the private Vatican gathering were stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine, and Viggo Mortensen, as well as acclaimed directors Spike Lee, Gus Van Sant, and Sally Potter.
The Pope, the first from the United States, described cinema as an essential “workshop of hope,” especially in a world grappling with uncertainty and digital saturation.
In his address on Saturday, he noted that many movie theaters are disappearing from cities and neighborhoods, warning that the art and experience of cinema are at risk. “I encourage institutions not to abandon this craft, but to work together in highlighting its social and cultural importance,” he said.
Film revenues in numerous countries remain below pre-pandemic levels, with multiplexes in the U.S. and Canada just having experienced their worst summer performance since 1981, not counting the COVID-19 shutdown period.
Logic of algorithms must be resisted
Leo reflected on cinema, celebrating its 130th year, as a medium that has evolved from simple light and shadow to a powerful tool for exploring the profound questions of human existence.
“Cinema isn’t merely moving images; it carries hope into motion,” he remarked, describing stepping into a theater as “crossing a threshold” where imagination expands and even suffering can take on new meaning.
He warned that a culture dominated by constant digital stimulation risks turning stories into formulaic content, dictated by what algorithms predict will succeed.
“Algorithms tend to repeat what already works, but art reveals what could be,” he noted, encouraging filmmakers to preserve moments of “slowness, silence, and difference” when they enhance the narrative.
Leo also urged artists to address themes like violence, war, poverty, and loneliness with sincerity, emphasizing that meaningful cinema “does not exploit suffering, but rather acknowledges and examines it.”
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