EXCLUSIVE: Evgeny Afineevsky had no idea what to expect when he received unprecedented access to Pope Francis.
The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-nominated film director revealed that no subject was off limits when it came time to interview the 84-year-old actor for his new documentary “Francesco”. The film examines how the religious figure has worked to address issues such as immigration, climate change and even the abuse allegations faced by the Catholic Church.
“Despite being Pope Francis, he is still close to the people around him and wants to be a man of the people,” Afineevsky told Fox News. “This is the Jesuit in him, the education of the Jesuits, the belief of the Jesuits. He told me when I started this film: ‘Evgeny, I don’t want to be an actor. I prefer to go to the corners of the world and help people than to be in front of the camera . ‘And it’s him. That’s the incredible person I tried to bring to this film. We can all learn something good from him. “
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During filming, Afineevsky witnessed Francisco’s modest life at Casa Santa Maria, the Vatican City inn, as opposed to the more luxurious papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.
“He is not trying to live in the Apostolic Palace behind so many guards,” explained Afineevsky. “He wanted to live humbly in a Vatican inn. Santa Maria is a very modest, small apartment. He’s not driving a luxury car. He wants to be close to people. He emphasized this during our filming time. he was close to the people when he was Cardinal Bergoglio on the streets of Buenos Aires. And despite being pope, he hasn’t changed ”.
One of the surprising aspects of “Francesco” is the meeting with Juan Carlos Cruz, who claimed to have been sexually abused as a boy in Chile by a Catholic priest. In the film, Cruz saluted Pope Francis for rethinking his response to the scandal. Francisco initially defended some prelates accused of sex crimes, Deadline.com reported. However, the media noted that he finally took strong action against some alleged abusers.
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Juan Carlos Cruz participated in the documentary ‘Francesco’.
(VINCENZO PINTO / AFP via Getty Images)
Decades of sexual abuse scandals in many countries, including allegations that Church officials have covered up transgressions by priests, have undermined the Catholic Church’s credibility among the faithful.
“Pope Francis wrote a letter to the world apologizing, admitting his mistake and that was unprecedented,” Cruz told the media. “No other pope has done that. This is a man who recognizes his mistakes and a man who is not ashamed to recognize a mistake and fix it and to admit that he made a mistake and correct it.”
In March of this year, the Vatican announced that Cruz is the last member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Cruz and other survivors were personally invited by the pope in 2018 to discuss their cases with him.
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Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, making him Pope Francis.
(Vatican Pool photo / Getty Images)
Afineevsky said he was particularly inspired by Francisco’s determination to raise awareness of climate change and its impact on the environment.
“I wanted to bring your actions to inspire people to do something good, to save our world so that we can build a safe path for our future, especially in these pandemic days,” explained Afineevsky. “I think the pandemic has made us stop and rethink what we have done before, all the disasters we have created and how we can make them different. It is not too late to build a safer future. Pope Francis believes that by loving our planet, we can come together and show our love for humanity as well. “
Afineevsky admitted that he was impressed with Pope Francis’ personality when it came time to film.
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Pope Francis poses with the vaccinees at the Vatican Vaccination Center in the Paul VI Room on April 2, 2021, in Vatican City, Vatican. On Good Friday, before the celebration of the Via Sacra, Pope Francis visited the homeless and those who needed special assistance while receiving the Covid vaccines provided by the Vatican. He greeted the volunteers, doctors and nurses who attended them.
(Vatican Pool photo / Getty Images)
“The world sees you as a spiritual leader,” he said. “But when you really sit down with him and talk to him, it’s like talking to a relative. It’s like talking to that family member who is cheerful, but also wants to give advice and listen to what you have to say. It really seems like I like it. to talk to your dad who wants to teach you something. He listens carefully, he shares his ideas. He never makes you feel superior to you. I felt so comfortable sitting next to him because he really made me feel the same. “
Afineevsky said he does not see “Francesco” as a religious film, but more as a call to action for those who need hope in their lives.
“His last line in the film is that we need changes that unite us all,” said Afineevsky. “I think that’s the message of this film. That we are all the same. We need to hear each other’s stories and come together. In his travels, Pope Francis always said: ‘We are a big family. We will stop destroying our home on Earth. because it’s destroying it and that’s where we live. ‘I think his purpose in life is to build a bridge. He wants to spread the love. And we can certainly use that today. “
The Associated Press contributed to this report.