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Vatican's list of films

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In 1995, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications released Alcuni film importanti (Some Important Films), a list of 45 films divided into the categories of religion, values, and art. These films were recommended for viewing by Pope John Paul II and John Patrick Foley.

Compilation

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The Pontifical Council for Social Communications released a list of 45 films to mark the centennial of Auguste and Louis Lumière's display of their films. These 45 films were divided into the categories of religion, values, and art.[1] This list was released under the title Alcuni film importanti (Some Important Films).[2] President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications John Patrick Foley, president of the Vatican Film Library Enrique Planas, and twelve experts on film, movie librarians, and academics compiled the list.[2][3][4] Pope John Paul II recommended that these films be watched.[5]

Analysis

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Foley stated that this list showed that great films could be made without pandering to violent or phonographic elements. He stated that the church wanted viewers to be more critical of films rather than passively consuming them.[3]

The list features films that contain elements critical of religion and the Catholic Church. The Mission features missionaries being undermined by a church leader.[3] Franco Zeffirelli was critical of the list for not including any of his films.[4]

Florent Cardon, writing for Aleteia, proposed that the Vatican should update the list for 2025, and include films like A Hidden Life and Of Gods and Men.[2]

List

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Title Year Category Ref(s)
2001: A Space Odyssey 1968 Art [6]
1963 Art
Andrei Rublev 1966 Religion
Au revoir les enfants 1987 Values
Ben-Hur 1959 Religion
Babette's Feast 1987 Religion
The Burmese Harp 1956 Values
Bicycle Thieves 1948 Values
Chariots of Fire 1981 Values
Citizen Kane 1941 Art
Dekalog 1989 Values
Dersu Uzala 1975 Values
Fantasia 1940 Art
The Flowers of St. Francis 1950 Religion
Francesco 1989 Religion
Gandhi 1982 Values
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (film) 1964 Religion
La Grande Illusion 1937 Art
Intolerance 1916 Values
It's a Wonderful Life 1946 Values
The Lavender Hill Mob 1951 Art
The Leopard 1963 Art
Little Women 1933 Art
A Man for All Seasons 1966 Religion
Metropolis 1927 Art
The Mission 1986 Religion
Modern Times 1936 Art
Monsieur Vincent 1947 Religion
Napoléon 1927 Art
Nazarín 1959 Religion
Nosferatu 1922 Art
On the Waterfront 1954 Values
Ordet 1955 Religion
The Passion of Joan of Arc 1928 Religion
Rome, Open City 1945 Values
The Sacrifice 1986 Religion
Schindler's List 1993 Values
The Seventh Seal 1957 Values
Stagecoach 1939 Art
La Strada 1954 Art
Thérèse 1986 Religion
The Tree of Wooden Clogs 1978 Values
Vie et Passion du Christ 1903 Religion
Wild Strawberries 1957 Values
The Wizard of Oz 1939 Art

References

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Works cited

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News

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  • Bose, Swapnil (29 December 2021). "The Vatican named the 45 greatest films of all time". Far Out. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  • Cardon, Florent (30 July 2024). "Connaissez-vous ces 45 films recommandés par le Vatican?". Aleteia. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  • Gojda, Lukas (23 November 2024). "Popcorn with the Pope: A Guide to the Vatican Film List". Aleteia. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  • Murphy, Alyssa (11 March 2024). "The Oscars, 'Oppenheimer' and the Vatican Film List". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  • Rabai, Carlo (16 July 2020). "I 45 film preferiti dal Vaticano e la polemica con Zeffirelli". Birdmen Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.

Newspapers

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Further reading

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  • Baird, David; Petiprin, Andrew; Ward, Michael (2023). Popcorn with the Pope: A Guide to the Vatican Film List. Word on Fire. ISBN 9781685789848.