About six million people visit the Vatican museums every year. For those who can't make the trip, now there's a 3D experience where viewers can see it all up close and personal.
COSETTA LAGANI
Vatican Museums 3D, Producer
"With this 3D footage you feel like you're actually visiting the museum. It's as if you're reaching out and touching the works or art. It seems like you're part of the frescoes, in all their dimensions.”
Making this happen wasn't easy. It was the first time Ultra HD/3D cameras were allowed to film inside the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Day in and day out, a team of 40 Italian crew members, were given unlimited access to priceless pieces of art. In essence, it's an attempt to make a masterpiece out of a masterpiece.
COSETTA LAGANI
Vatican Museums 3D, Producer
"Our team covered the Vatican's Raphael rooms. We also include works by Giotto and Caravaggio. There's also some pieces from the Museum of Modern Art, done by Dali and Van Gogh.”
After four months of post-production, a one hour documentary will hit international big screens starting December 10, 2014. More than 500 theaters will show the film, through the SpectiCast Network and the Fathom Event's Digital Broadcast Network.
COSETTA LAGANI
Vatican Museums 3D, Producer
"The audience will never forget what it sees, because the images include so much detail. The narration that accompanies the film is also very original. It describes the history of Laocoonte, the Torso of Belvedere and of course the Sistine Chapel. You can't forget it.”
A documentary that triggers intrigue and inspiration, based on some of the most powerful works of art, ever produced by mankind.
By Celeste Behe, Register Correspondent
A barren hillside in Mexico. A humble peasant named Juan Diego. A beautiful lady. A painted tilma.
The facts surrounding the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe are known to most informed Catholics. Or are they?
"Ask just about any educated Catholic where Guadalupe is, and the answer you’re likely to get is ‘Mexico,’" says movie director and producer Tim Watkins. "But, in fact, Guadalupe is in Spain."
It’s a surprising piece of information, one of many revealed in the fascinating documentary The Blood and the Rose.
"There are numerous connections between certain events that took place in both the Holy Land and in Europe and the events which led up to Our Lady’s miraculous appearance in the New World," says Watkins. "Their convergence, more than 15 centuries in the making, was guided by the hand of divine Providence."
The feature-length documentary — which brings together the talents of executive producer Steve McEveety (The Passion of the Christ) and actor Eduardo Verastegui (Bella) — includes on-location interviews with experts in the fields of science, history and theology.
Their findings help to recount the "untold" part of the Guadalupe story, which, says Watkins, "doesn’t end with Juan Diego."
"The movie really conveys much more than the Guadalupe story," agrees Raymond Arroyo, creator and host of EWTN’s The World Over and guest speaker at the Jan. 24 premiere screening of the documentary.
Referring to the image of Guadalupe, he says that "any image that shows up 500 years after its premiere on an air freshener or a rapper’s bicep is an image firmly ensconced in the popular imagination."
But, as Watkins observes, key elements of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe are usually missing from these reproductions. "This is no ordinary icon that we can just alter at will to suit different applications and tastes," he says. "God himself is the artist, and he conveys in the image numerous messages and proofs that demonstrate that it is nothing less than his word."
The film sheds light on many of these elements, including the pattern on Our Lady’s garment.
From the wheat fields of Kansas to a prisoner of war during the Korean
Conflict in 1951, this is the story of military chaplain Father
Emil Kapaun.
He is currently being considered to receive
the Medal of Honor as well as a being candidate for sainthood by the
Catholic Church.
He is the subject of a documentary called
“The Miracle of Father Kapaun”. It follows the life of this Catholic
martyr, with interviews from many of the men who served alongside the chaplain
in the war. They tell how he refused to leave injured soldiers which led to his
capture and eventual death in a prison camp.
Through many
personal letters written to his family, one is given an idea of what it
was like to serve as a clergyman on the battlefield. In the last letter he is
believed to ever have written he notes that “we do have a few laughs in
spite of the evils of war”.
The Vatican is now looking at
possibly beatifying Kapaun, while the Pentagon may award him the
country's highest military honor: the medal of honor.
The video trailer of Our Lady and following press release is from Jessica Murray, Marketing Manager at Tell Tale Productions:
Halifax, Nova Scotia –March, 2012– Blessed Mother. Star of the Sea. Queen of Heaven. Madonna. Our Lady. She goes by many names and is celebrated by both Christians and Muslims around the world. She is one of the most celebrated women in history, even though little is actually known about her. She gave birth to the one of the most famous historical figures of all time, but she is only mentioned in the bible seven times. Each year millions of people around the world do pilgrimages to shrines dedicated to her and many claim to experience miracles.
Our Lady is a one hour documentary that chronicles the life and significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her apparitions and appearances on earth.Since 1981, Mary has been appearing in one of the most visited religious sites on the planet: Medjugorje, Bosnia. The film follows a pilgrimage led by New Brunswick native Marie Desjardins as she and a dozen others journey to Medjugorje for the 30th anniversary of these spiritual events.
Our Lady is created, written, and directed by Michael MacDonald and produced by Edward Peill of Halifax-based Tell Tale Productions Inc.
“Medjugorje is potentially the most important event in modern history. It is a call to action for all to put their own interests aside to serve their fellow human beings.” says MacDonald. “As the Blessed Virgin said to the visionaries, God is real. He asks us to live like eternal beings - to remember that our pains and sufferings are only temporary. We must prepare ourselves daily by learning to love, and to accept love.”
The film features world-renowned Marian experts Judith Dupre, Lesley Hazelton, and Charlene Spretnak as they reveal the role that Mary has played over the past 2000 years and the devotion she has fostered in so many followers around the world.
A new iPhone app called iMary will also be released in conjunction with the premiere of the Our Lady documentary. The iMary mobile app is the ultimate smartphone accessory for anyone interested in the Virgin Mary. The app features a complete and detailed database of all the Marian shrines across Canada with a geo-locator function indicating the distance from the user’s location. It also contains a comprehensive list of devotions, a Marian calendar, and a rosary. The iMary app is available on iTunes with a portion of the proceeds from each sale being donated to charity.
Our Lady will have its world broadcast premiere on VisionTV on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT (Check local listings). VisionTV is Canada’s only English language cable and satellite television analog specialty channel that airs multi-faith, multicultural and family-oriented entertainment programming.
Our Lady was produced in association with VisionTV, ZoomerMedia Limited, and CTS TV with funding from the Canada Media Fund, and Provincial and Federal tax credits.
For Media Inquiries please contact:
Jessica Murray - Tell Tale Productions Inc.Marketing Manager
Among the Holywood stars walking the red carpet at this year's Oscars, will be this 73 year old Benedictine nun. She now goes by the name Mother Dolores and she belongs to the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. But long before she was known as Dolores Hart, a rising young actress.
She is the subject of a new documentary “God is Bigger than Elvis” that has been nominated for an academy award. It's her life story, from an acting career that placed her in 11 movies alongside Elvis Presley to taking solemn vows to lead the cloistered life of a nun.
She starred in films as diverse as “Where the Boys Are” alongside George Hamilton, to the 1961 film “Francis of Assisi”.
This new documentary will focus not only on her Hollywood career and life as a nun, but also the daily activities of her sisters, that work to keep a farm on their monastery.
The documentary is set to premiere on HBO this April 5th. Those in Hollywood are calling this the 'homecoming' for their lost star Dolores Hart.
Finding Fatima DVD: The following photographs and commentary is courtesy of Joel Fletcher, Director of Dynomite Productions Ltd:
The film opens on Hiroshima 1945, where 8 Jesuit priests miraculously survived the atomic bomb without any trace of radiation poisoning and minor injury, when asked why they survived, Fr. Hubert Schiffer’s only answer was ‘we survived because we were living the message of Fatima.’
In 1917, while a generation of men were being sacrificed on the killing fields of World War 1 and the seeds of a bloody revolution were being sowed in Russia, just outside a small town called Fatima in Portugal, three young Shepherd children made an extraordinary claim that they had been visited by a lady from heaven, a lady "brighter than the sun."
The series of events that followed, would resonate around the world, culminated in what has been described by many, as the greatest miracle of the 20th century, an event witnessed by over 70,000 people.
Photo courtesy of Dynomite Productions Ltd
Directed by Ian and Dominic Higgins and filmed over two years, the documentary presents the complete story of Fatima with innovative and dramatic reconstructions of the events, interviews with many leading experts on Fatima and rarely seen archival material.
Photo courtesy of Dynomite Productions Ltd
Filmed on location in both Portugal and the UK, utilizing state of the art CGI and a cast of 100’s ‘Finding Fatima’ is an epic production that spans from 1910 to the present day.
With worldwide and mainstream appeal for both Catholic and non Catholic audiences ‘Finding Fatima’is a beautiful depiction of an event that is as relevant today as it was almost a hundred years ago.
‘Finding Fatima’, is a documentary that will both move and inspire you.
The newly released "Fatima" is the quintessential movie on Our Heavenly Mother's appearance in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. Leading experts in theology, history and science thoroughly examine all aspects of the Fatima Message in this compelling documentary.
Relatives and close friends tell us the story of how the seers received the Message from Heaven that Pope John Paul II declared, "More Important Now than Ever." Confidant to Sister Lucia, and world renowned Fatima authors and speakers join together to illustrate Heaven's plan for the Salvation of Souls and World Peace.
Recently discovered film of an eyewitness to the Miracle of the Sun provides an authentic description of what took place as 70,000 people watched in awe. You will gain further insight into God's Miracle as it is scientifically explained through the prism of Quantum Physics. A distinguished Medical Doctor applies science to the Power of Prayer. Additionally, the truth behind Fatima's Prophesies and Three Secrets are revealed through a close examination of historical events.
This groundbreaking film will help you understand the cause of the current state of the world and more importantly, how our freewill will determine our future. The World Apostolate of Fatima, a Pontifical Association, is the consultant for Fatima.
The Fatima Movie is available for purchase online at: Fatima Gift Shop or call the Gift Shop at 908-689-3590.
The Following information regarding the Fatima miracle is part of a new DVD documentary from Grass Roots Pictures and is posted on YouTube. For further information, please visit the following link: FindingFatimaDVD.com
What is Fatima? The new documentary opens on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945
Eight Jesuit priests living just 8 blocks from the blast site miraculously survived the atomic blast. Everyone else within a radius of roughly 1.5 Kilometres was reportedly killed instantly, and those outside the range died of radiation within days. However, the only physical harm to Fr. Shiffer was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck. Father Shiffer believed they survived because they were living the message of Fatima. End
***
Note: The following story is in my earlier blog post of March 14, 2010. However, FindingFatimaDVD.com recently contacted me through email regarding the release of new documentaries about the Fatima message. As a result, I am reposting Father Paul's interview with Fr. Shiffer to highlight the Hiroshima miracle and the new DVD production.
The following interview was conducted by Father Paul Ruge with Fr. Hubert Schiffer, a survivor of the atomic blast at Hiroshima. Father Paul is currently the spiritual advisor at The Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Catholic shrine is part of the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA, and is located in Washington, New Jersey. The interview conducted by Father Paul with additional information on the events of August 6, 1945 can read at the following link: HolySouls.com
FR. SCHIFFER OF HIROSHIMA by Fr. Paul Ruge, O.F.M.I.
At 2:45 a.m. on August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber took off from the island of Tinian to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan. At 8:15 a.m. the bomb exploded eight city blocks from the Jesuit Church of Our Lady's Assumption in Hiroshima. Half a million people were annihilated. However, the church and four Jesuit fathers stationed there survived: Fathers Hugo Lassalle, Kleinsorge, Cieslik and Schiffer. (RH note - all other accounts state clearly that there were eight Jesuits stationed in this home not four - and it is well known that all eight survived - the author of this present article apparently only had the names of four of them, for instance Fr. Arrupe is left out of the list - and at this writing, I have not been able to find the names of the other three Jesuits. end of note.) According to the experts they "ought to be dead," being within a one-mile radius of the explosion. Nine days later on August 15, Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, U.S. forces were ordered to cease fire.
(This is the incredible story of the late Fr. Hubert Schiffer, as retold by Fr. Paul Ruge.)
I met Fr. Schiffer in the late 70s at the Tri-City Airport in Saginaw, Michigan, as he was going to give a talk for the Blue Army Novena/Triduum. As I chauffeured him around he told me stories of his life, especially of the atomic explosion at Hiroshima. On the morning of August 6, 1945, he had just finished Mass, went into the rectory and sat down at the breakfast table, and had just sliced a grapefruit, and had just put his spoon into the grapefruit when there was a bright flash of light. His first thought was that it was an explosion in the harbor (this was a major port where the Japanese refueled their submarines.)
Then, in the words of Fr. Schiffer: "Suddenly, a terrific explosion filled the air with one bursting thunderstroke. An invisible force lifted me from the chair, hurled me through the air, shook me, battered me, whirled me 'round and 'round like a leaf in a gust of autumn wind." The next thing he remembered, he opened his eyes and he was laying on the ground. He looked around and there was NOTHING in any direction: the railroad station and buildings in all directions were leveled to the ground.
The only physical harm to himself was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else physically wrong with himself. Many thousands were killed or maimed by the explosion. After the conquest of the Americans, their army doctors and scientists explained to him that his body would begin to deteriorate because of the radiation. Many of the Japanese people had blisters and sores from the radiation. To the doctors amazement, Fr. Schiffer's body contained no radiation or ill-effects from the bomb. Fr. Schiffer attributes this to devotion to the Blessed Mother, and his daily Fatima Rosary. He feels that he received a protective shield from the Blessed Mother which protected him from all radiation and ill-effects. (This coincides with the bombing of Nagasaki where St. Maximilian Kolbe had established a Franciscan Friary which was also unharmed because of special protection from the Blessed Mother, as the Brothers too prayed the daily Rosary and also had no effects from the bomb.)
