Full house for Jesus movie
2006-11-27 11:30
Vatican City - A movie about the birth of Jesus Christ has made its world premiere at the Vatican, the first time a feature film debuted here.
Some 7 000 people showed up on Sunday at the benefit screening of The Nativity story in Paul VI Hall, the auditorium regularly used for audiences with pilgrims, although Pope Benedict XVI was not present.
"I think the pope is pretty busy," quipped director Catherine Hardwicke. "I'm so happy with all the people that did come and the love that came out of the audience."
"It's incredible, such a beautiful honour," she told reporters after the screening, which drew occasional cheers from the audience.
The Nativity Story, which opens in the United States and Italy in time for the Christmas holidays on December 1, describes Mary's pregnancy and the trip she and Joseph undertake to Bethlehem, the town of Jesus' birth. It explores Mary's reaction - of fear, doubt and ultimately faith - to what is happening to her.
Before the screening, Archbishop John Foley, a US prelate who heads the Vatican's social communications office, welcomed the full house and said dialogue between faith and culture can contribute to comprehension among peoples.
"Cinema, a powerful means of communication, once again carries a universal message," he told the audience.
The film stars as Mary Australian-born Keisha Castle-Hughes, of Whale Rider fame, who was not present at the premiere; and Oscar Isaac as Joseph. Shohreh Aghdashloo, who was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress in House of Sand and Fog, stars as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.
The director's previous works include Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen.
The 102-minute film was shot between Morocco and Matera, a town in southern Italy where Mel Gibson shot The Passion of the Christ.
Hardwicke praised The Passion, but said she tried to do a more uniting film than Gibson's highly controversial blockbuster about the last hours of Jesus Christ.
"There were some things he did that maybe were a little controversial. We wanted our film to be uniting and make the public see the similarities between religious instead of the differences," she said.
- AP