'Hope is the most needed currency today,' says director of new Pope Francis doc

SALT LAKE CITY — The first pope from South America, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, the first Jesuit and the first of his name — Pope Francis was marked from the start as a man who would revolutionize the papacy.

He rejected the expensive clothes, houses and cars normally associated with his role and emphasized a return to following the example of Jesus Christ. Now coming on five years as pope, Pope Francis and his message of reform are at the heart of "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word," a film being released by the Vatican and Focus Features.

Dario Vigano — who was the director of the Vatican television station, CTV, at the time of the film's inception and is the former prefect of the Vatican's communication department — reached out to three-time Academy Award-nominated director Wim Wenders to co-produce the documentary.

As a film lover, Vigano had an appreciation for the potential means of communication cinema could provide, Wenders said in an email. This is only the second time in history the Vatican has produced a motion picture with outside filmmakers.

Wenders did not intend for the movie to be biographical, but rather focused on the pope's message to the modern world.

"That's what I wanted this film to be about: what Pope Francis stands for," Wenders said. "You might say it's a biography of his concerns. His words are the center of the film."

Many times throughout the documentary, Pope Francis faces the camera, discussing his views and concerns directly with the audience (in Spanish, with subtitles). Other times, he's shown answering questions from people around the world, washing the feet of prisoners and interacting with children, refugees, the poor, the sick — anyone he can reach.

A man in a detention center, left, meets Pope Francis in Wim Wenders' documentary "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word."

CTV

In the process of filming, Wenders realized he needed to include the story of St. Francis of Assisi, the pope's namesake, in the movie.

"The pope chose this name with a good reason," Wenders said. "St. Francis stands for three things: for a radical solidarity with the poor and the outcast, for a whole new evaluation of our relation to nature and for a renewed effort to instigate peace between religions. Pope Francis took on an incredibly charged name that came with an immense legacy."

Despite that legacy, Wenders said he wanted to make a "poor film," thinking it would be hypocritical to spend a lot of money making a movie about a man who preaches and lives a minimalist lifestyle. So, the director had to find a way to re-enact the life of a 13th-century saint, using very little money.

"We ended up shooting these crucial scenes on film, in black and white, on an old hand-cranked camera from the ′20s," he said. "That is a look no special effect and no digital wizardry can produce. We cranked our scenes like Chaplin or Keaton, and I tell you: That camera made everything look like way from the past."

Many viewers thought Wenders found an old silent film about St. Francis and used that, he said. But, with a closer look, you can sometimes see cars in the background or other hints of modern times.

Wenders said he grew up Catholic and even wanted to be a priest, but then the rock 'n' roll, philosophy and socialism of the '60s sidetracked him.

"Via a huge detour … I returned to my Christian roots, realizing I had never really left them," he said.

Now, he is trying to send a message of hope through Pope Francis.

Pope Francis, in Wim Wenders' documentary "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word."

CTV

"Hope (is) the most needed currency today," he said. "Pope Francis has an abundantly positive outlook. He is humble, courageous, tender, strong and he has a great presence. In fact, he is contagious."

Wenders insists his documentary is the opposite of propaganda or advertising. It certainly doesn't shy away from tough topics for the Catholic Church, including its issues of pedophilia among priests and its conservative stance on gay marriage.

"It doesn't try to 'sell you anything,'" he said. "But it tries to be a voice of hope in the chaos of a world that seems to have lost its mind and that has certainly lost all sense of morality. A film can help Pope Francis in his incredibly courageous effort to call for a reinvention of morality."

Wenders also said he intended this film to be for all audiences, regardless of belief. The pope does not pontificate about Catholic catechism, but shares a general message of love, acceptance, peace and even environmentalism. He preaches that people should see themselves not as masters but caretakers of the Earth.

"Some of my best friends do not at all believe in God, and some of them — tough cookies — watched the film with tears rolling down their faces," Wenders said. "Pope Francis can reach deep into you. There are things he says that you just can't deny touch you."