Media Reviews

STORIES OF A GENERATION WITH POPE FRANCIS

Netfl ix

LOVE, DREAMS, STRUGGLE, AND WORK—those are the four themes that make up the basis of Netfl ix’s fourpart docuseries Stories of a Generation with Pope Francis. Th e series, which was released last December, is based on the pope’s book Sharing the Wisdom of Time, published by Loyola Press.

For the series, fi lmmakers under the age of 30 interviewed women and men over age 70. Th e result is 18 stories shot across fi ve continents over the course of one year. In each episode, people of diff erent backgrounds, social status, cultures, and religions share their stories. Given its international scope, the entire series is subtitled.

Pope Francis, who is featured throughout the series, begins by saying, “It is important for the future of humanity that the young talk to the old.” He off ers his own personal wisdom based on experiences and insights he has gained and shares stories from his life. Th e pope is interviewed by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, editor of La Civiltà Cattolica, who also helped with the book.

At a Rome fi lm festival last October, Father Spadaro said Pope Francis agreed to participate in the Netfl ix series on the condition that he would not be “the star” of the project but would simply enter into the conversation like the other elders interviewed, “talking about himself and his personal experiences,” reported Catholic News Service.

Some of the names featured in the docuseries are well known, such as fi lmmaker Martin Scorsese and environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall. But the series also features lesser-known individuals, whose stories prove no less powerful. Austra Bertha Flores, the fi rst female mayor in Honduras, talks about her struggle for the rights of the weakest in her country and her personal battle to ensure that the perpetrators of her daughter’s murder do not go unpunished. Perhaps the most touching story, though, is that of Danilo Mena Hernández, a farmer who lives in a forest in Costa Rica. Th e father of two blind sons makes their dream come true by bringing them to “see” the sea with their hands for the fi rst time. In the episode on work, Scorsese is interviewed by his 22-year-old daughter, fi lmmaker and actress Francesca. He tells her about how his love of fi lmmaking began. Scorsese is also featured in the episode on love, which features clips of him and his wife, Helen Morris, who is reported to suff er from Parkinson’s disease.

Th e cinematography is stellar, beautifully capturing not only vast images of the ocean and forests, but also more intimate ones of quaint shops and homes. Th e opening of the series features intricate artistic depictions of the subjects. And the score perfectly captures the setting of each segment.

Pope Francis is right about the wisdom to be gained from our elders. Th is docuseries is proof of that.