The first official docufilm dedicated to Carlo Acutis, titled “Carlo Acutis. Il giovane santo,” debuted on September 29 at the Vatican Film Library in Vatican City. Directed by Luca Salmaso and produced by Officina della Comunicazione, Nexo Studios, and OUR FILMS, the project explores the life and spiritual legacy of the young figure often identified as the first saint of the digital era. Following its Vatican presentation, the documentary will screen in Italian cinemas from October 15 to 21, before scheduled theatrical releases across Europe and the Americas.
Vatican Screening Details and Theatrical Release Schedule
The Vatican Film Library hosted the morning presentation of the feature-length documentary on September 29, introducing a project that examines the intersection of modern faith and contemporary life through the lens of Acutis’s personal history. According to release schedules provided by the production entities Officina della Comunicazione, Nexo Studios, and OUR FILMS, the film hits Italian theater screens for a dedicated run from October 15 through October 21. International distribution plans encompass subsequent theatrical runs throughout Europe and the Americas.
Archival Footage and Personal Testimonies in the Director’s Vision
Director Luca Salmaso constructed the documentary as a choral narrative by gathering accounts from individuals who shared Acutis’s daily routines. The project incorporates photographs, private videos, exclusive content, and canonization footage captured by Vatican Media cameras. Interviewees include the subject’s parents, Antonia Salzano Acutis and Andrea Acutis; his grandmother, Luana Pennino; domestic worker Rajesh Mohur; childhood friends Mattia and Jacopo Pastorelli; and schoolteacher Elisa Tattanelli.
“Carlo is for me an encounter that was born before the canonization,” Salmaso stated regarding his work on the film. “Then it was a rediscovery in the moment in which this project was born, meeting the people who had known him, the parents, the friends. This wants to be a choral documentary that recounts his figure through who lived also his daily life.”
The Miraculous Recovery Central to the Canonization Narrative
The documentary features testimony from Valeria Vargas Valverde and her mother, Liliana, addressing the medical case linked to the canonization. Valeria sustained a severe head trauma with a brain hemorrhage and entered an irreversible coma following a bicycle accident in Florence while with friends. Her mother recounted that the student awoke after praying at the tomb of Carlo Acutis in Assisi.
Archival Audiovisual Memory and Global Reach
Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò, vice-chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, participated in the production, which was filmed across Milan, Cascia, La Verna, Lanciano, Fatima, and Rome. Viganò noted that the film utilizes photographs and videos captured by Acutis himself, placing the project within the audiovisual memory of Catholicism. “And then another thing not to be neglected is that in this document we talk about what happens after the death of Carlo,” Viganò explained, pointing to the worldwide wave of affection toward the young saint.
Mother’s Perspective on Daily Faith and the Eucharistic Exhibitions
Antonia Salzano Acutis serves as the primary narrator throughout the film, reflecting on her son’s emphasis on daily sacraments, the Eucharist, and devotion to the Virgin Mary. She highlighted his efforts to engage others in matters of faith, including the creation of the Eucharistic Miracles exhibition that toured internationally. “Carlo is with me, I always feel him close,” she stated. “He said that life is precious and must not be wasted and that one must always have a look toward eternity.”
Common Questions About the New Documentary
When and where was the docufilm premiered?
The documentary “Carlo Acutis. Il giovane santo” premiered on the morning of September 29 at the Vatican Film Library in Vatican City.
Who directed and produced the film?
The film was directed by Luca Salmaso and produced by Officina della Comunicazione, Nexo Studios, and OUR FILMS.
When will the film be shown in cinemas?
The documentary arrives in Italian cinemas from October 15 to 21, with subsequent theatrical rollouts planned for Europe and America.
Which prominent figures provided testimonies in the project?
The film includes accounts from his parents Antonia Salzano Acutis and Andrea Acutis, grandmother Luana Pennino, domestic worker Rajesh Mohur, friends Mattia and Jacopo Pastorelli, teacher Elisa Tattanelli, and Valeria Vargas Valverde alongside her mother Liliana.
Worth a look