“The letter Laudato Si’ has succeeded in making believers and non-believers pray in some way,” proclaimed the Bishop of Assisi, Mgr. Domenico Sorrentino, before the screening of the movie The Letter on January 22nd in the “Colle del Paradiso” Reception and Conference Center located in the underground rooms of the Sacro Convento of Assisi, which served as a home for key scenes of the documentary film.
Tomás Insua poses with “The Letter” with screening attendees.
Tomás Insua, founder and executive director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, celebrated the return to Assisi. “Everyone here in Assisi helped create the film here at the Sacro Convento. We created beautiful and important scenes of Cardinal Cantalamessa, the Canticle of the Creatures, and Eremo delle Caceri. We come back now to thank the partners who supported this project.”
The January snow blankets Assisi, framing the Sacro Convento, where scenes filmed by Nicolas Brown took place.
Film director Nicolas Brown was among those partners present at the screening, tuning in from his home in the United States via video call. Brown reflected on the impact of Assisi on the film.
“No one anticipated that the most important discovery actually happened in Assisi. Many people know that I’m not a religious person, but I was warned beforehand by Cardinal Cantalamessa about the presence of the Holy Spirit in the winds and trees of Assisi.…What we discovered in Assisi is the true meaning of Laudato’ Si.”
Antonio Caschetto, also with Laudato Si’ Movement, echoed this sentiment. “Watching the images and emotions of this movie will bring Laudato Si’ not only into this hall… but also into an opportunity to talk about our hearts.”
Over 200 people braved travel through the Assisi snow to attend the screening of The Letter, including the Guardian of the Sacro Convento of Assisi, Fra Marco Moroni, the Mayor of Assisi, Stefania Proietti, and the ecumenical director of the Diocese, Marina Zola, who introduced the ecumenical theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
These quotations have been edited for clarity and length.
0 Comments