Video: Pope Leo reveals his top 4 movies ahead of Hollywood-Vatican event

Pope Leo XIV will welcome various celebrities, including actors and directors, at the Hollywood-Vatican summit on 15 November. While it is not unusual for celebrities to be invited to the Vatican — just last week, Pope Leo met with Robert De Niro — this time the event is particularly significant, as it is centred exclusively around Hollywood.

According to the Vatican, dozens of stars will attend the special audience in the Apostolic Palace, including Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, Dave Franco and Monica Bellucci. Oscar-winning directors Spike Lee, George Miller, Giuseppe Tornatore and Gus Van Sant are also expected to attend.

One might wonder why the head of state of Vatican City — who is also the first pope from the USA — is considering such an event. In a statement released this week, the Vatican explained:

The pope has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the world of cinema … exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the church and the promotion of human values.

However, other sources suggest that the aim is to raise the profile of the new Pope beyond Catholic media circles and present the Church in a positive light. This is because, unlike his predecessor Francis, he is more reserved. Hendro Munsterman, the Vatican correspondent for the Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, explained:

Leo doesn’t have the same charisma as Francis, who was always giving catchy one-liners. Leo is a listener, very quiet and modest, which has its own charm. But he is also a product that has to be created.

Prior to the event, the Chicago-born Pope revealed his four favourite films in a video: The Sound of Music, directed by Robert Wise; It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra; An Ordinary Family, directed by Robert Redford; and Life is Beautiful, directed by Roberto Benigni.