Interview with Elisabetta Castana, an Italian, director of two Italian films, The Secrets of Fatima and The Secrets of Mejugorje

An Italian documentary film directr talks on the works submitted to the Magnificat festival in 2010 and 2011.

Valentina Krutaia (Question): I don't think I'm wrong saying the film you've made is a sort of inner quest, not just creation.
Elisabetta (Answer): In a sense, yes. I was invited to Mejugorje, to enter the festival, but went there for curiosity rather. I wanted to see what it was that occurred in that town. And what I saw there, struck me. The miracle of sun is worthy of special notice. The sun danced there, so to say. They told me it would be interesting to study this subject deeper and proposed to make a film as the result of this quest. When working on The Secrets of Mejugorje, I remained neutral, just to understand what it was that kept going on there in Mejugorje. That was a good new experience for me, and the work on this film changed me too.

Whenever a new nation enters a film for the festival, a tree is to be planted in honor of her by tradition. This year, two new trees appeared, for Armenia and Israel.

Nun Sophia (Ischenko), President of the Purification international Orthodox festival The Encounter, in an exclusive interview for signis.by, broaches on the Christian documentary film, paints a portrait of the Christian documentary film director, and tells of the Christian documentary filmmaking trends.

Life at the festival is filled with events, encounters and impressions. Some of them happen on screen in a hall, but much more in the hearts of audience responding to images and subjects pouring lavishly on them from the screen. But most important here at the festival is an opportunity to meet God through heroes of films and programs.

Children cannot be deceived. They don’t know too much about people and the world yet, but feel with their soul the God and Truth. The competing animation films were screened in a children’s library and judged by the welcoming and sincere hearts of children.

What does the Christian film festival mean? What are the criteria to define whether a film is Christian or not? Are there any set signs to identify such a film? Halina Shur, film critic, member of the jury, tries to answer these questions.

The Franciscan cloister in a village Udzela is called the Belarusian Niepokalianow. Niepokalianow is a cloister founded by Saint Maximilan Kolbe in honor of the Immaculate Holy Virgin. Pope John Paul II, when beatifying Saint Maximilian named him a protector of mass media in our troubled time. The Magnificat festival began its life in 2005 in Udzela, under protection of Saint Maximilian.

A small village of Mosar got widely known thanks to Fr. Prelate Joseph Bulka who lived here. He prayed for existence of the Magnificent festival. This unique parish priest passed away a year and half ago, but all he had created and blessed for keeps blooming.

Kids and adults have assembled in the children’s library hall. The context screening of animation films will start here just in a few minutes. All are anticipating the moment when lights will go off and a color animated adventure begin to go on a screen. Children have multicolored tokens at hand, to judge the films and name the best in animation. So here it comes at last, the moment so long awaited. The works named “Peresvet and Oslyabya”, “Angel”, “Someone Nearby. A Secret”, and “Oska the Saint” follow one another and run for two hours in total. Children look them through attentively and name the one they like best. Most votes go to Oska the Saint, a story of a boy who decided to become holy and how he achieved it. Children noted the film as kind and interesting, causing joy and the desire to see it once again.

The second work day of the Festival was marked with a trip to Hlybokaye, a town in the Vitebsk region hosting the Magnificat traditionally. The people there always await the festival that turned to be a part of their life, welcome the participants and guests making them feel at home here.

On September 7, the Hlybokaye land welcomed the Festival. A pleasant autumn day was warm, and many local people came to the square just nearby the city executive office to greet the guests and participants. The smiling faces attracted all those passing through the downtown. One couldn’t but notice a billboard reading: Magnificat-2011, the International Catholic festival of Christian films and TV programs. People stopped there and read the program, some hurrying to make their notes and photos.

The festival first day screening was done in a hall of the Sts Simon and Helen Red Church, Minsk. In the Soviet time this church was occupied by the filmmakers union, the Belarusfilm studio. Screenings of films made by film masters took place here. So a Lord's house unified and keeps united the faith and arts under its roof.

Dear brothers and sisters, participants and guests of the 7th International festival of Christian films and TV programs MAGNIFICAT!
Here we are again gathered by the festival that has turned into a site of encounters, contests for Christian film and TV artists. Its geography and themes expand every year, thus proving the festival is of great current importance in the world searching for eternal values and using the powerful instruments like film and television to achieve this goal despite the secularization processes going on.
The Church meets the modern tendencies in development of art, including those of film and TV, with hope and anxiety, does her best to use them as tools for evangelizing, protection and spreading the Christian values. Modern films and TV programs, unfortunately, are ill-natured too often. There is too much violence, permissiveness, immorality in them. It reminds us that modern film and TV are the new Areopagus to preach the Gospel. Therefore the MAGNIFICAT should balance the modern amoral tendencies and make it clear that film and TV may be the means of taking the Good News to people.

Dear friends!

A Christian films festival takes place in the Belarusian Niepokalanow of Udzela, and in Hlybokaye for the seventh time running.

This is a real competition of creative makers who with their eyes, heart and Christian sole look at the world created by God aspiring to show it to the audience. This is a rare opportunity to see so many interesting films in the course of several days at one spot.

Thanks to the Franciscan fathers and the Hlybokaye district authorities who set up the conditions for carrying out this beautiful festival.

Thanks to the organizers, to Mr Iouri Goroulev especially, for the immense work they do to prepare and make this festival.

The Hlybokaye district executive committee and the district deputies Soviet welcome you, organizers, participants and guests of the Magnificat-2011 festival gladly and thank for an opportunity to meet you once again.

We here at the Hlybokaye always rejoice in and feel honored when preparing for this remarkable event in the cultural and spiritual life of our district and entire world.

It is not by mere chance that the Hlybokaye land was selected for hosting the festival. People of various Christian confessions have lived here in harmony over the ages. This land is adorned with numerous temples, the real monuments of history and culture. The Holy Trinity church in Hlebokaye as well as the St Anna church in Mosar, have turned a visit card of the district. This year was marked with one important event more, the new Catholic church of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus was opened in the urban village Podsvilye.

The new sanctuary born here in our Hlybokaye land will contribute to making the values, common to Christians and all mankind be more solid.