Martin Scorsese to produce documentary with Pope Francis, 'Aldeas

NEW YORK (AP) — Martin Scorsese is a producing a documentary made with Pope Francis that will chronicle the late pontiff’s work with cinema in the global educational movement he founded before his death.

“Aldeas — A New Story” will feature conversations between Pope Francis and Scorsese, including what the filmmakers say are the Pope’s final in-depth on-camera interview for a film. The documentary will detail the work of Scholas Occurrentes, a non-profit, international organization founded by the Pope in 2013 to promote the “Culture of Encounter” among youth.

Part of that organization’s work has included filmmaking, under the Aldeas initiative. The documentary will show young people in Indonesia, Gambia and Italy participating in the Aldeas program and making short films. Aldeas Scholas Film and Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions, which announced the film Wednesday, said the film is “a testament to the enduring belief that creativity is not only a means of expression but a path to hope and transformation.”

Before his death, Pope Francis called Aldeas “an extremely poetic and very constructive project because it goes to the roots of what human life is, human sociability, human conflicts... the essence of a life’s journey.”

No release date was announced for the film.

“Now, more than ever, we need to talk to each other, listen to one another cross-culturally,” Scorsese said. “One of the best ways to accomplish this is by sharing the stories of who we are, reflected from our personal lives and experiences. It helps us understand and value how each of us sees the world. It was important to Pope Francis for people across the globe to exchange ideas with respect while also preserving their cultural identity, and cinema is the best medium to do that.”

Scorsese met numerous times with Pope Francis over the years, and their conversations sometimes informed work undertaken by the 82-year-old filmmaker of “The Last Temptation of Christ” and “Silence.” Francis died on April 21 and a conclave to elect a new pope is scheduled to begin on May 7.