The Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See, in collaboration with the Piccolo America Foundation, announces a special programme of events at the Troisi cinema featuring filmmakers from around the world: cinema as a universal language of hope will be the central theme of the discussions, which will explore the ability of the seventh art to shed light on the human condition and open up new horizons for reflection

The programme takes place on the occasion of the Holy Father Leo XIV’s Audience with the world of cinema, to be held on Saturday 15 November at 11.00 am at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, and stems from a desire to explore the possibilities that creativity offers to the Church’s mission and the promotion of human values.

From 13 to 16 November, the Cinema Troisi will host nine different meetings with Azazel Jacobs, Judd Apatow, Darren Aronofsky, Nicolas Winding Refn, Viggo Mortensen, Gaspar Noé, Dario Argento, Wang Bing, Sally Potter and Spike Lee, who will receive the "Stella della Mole" lifetime achievement award at the 43rd edition of the Turin Film Festival: free voices speaking of hope, each invited to choose a film from their own filmography to share with all those living in and passing through the city of Rome in the Year of the Jubilee of Hope, and in continuity with the recent Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture, celebrated last February.

Thursday 13 November, 8.00 pm

His Three Daughters by Azazel Jacobs (2023, 101’)

Three sisters gather at their father’s bedside in a moving drama about family misunderstandings and the end of life. A tender film that explores the universal experience of parting from loved ones, through forgiveness and tenderness.

Preceded by the short film The Day Was a Scorcher by Ken Jacobs (2009, 8 mins), in tribute to the master who passed away on 5 October.

Presented by director Azazel Jacobs, moderated by Maria Cafagna

Friday 14 November, 4.00 pm

This is 40 by Judd Apatow (2012, 134 mins)

A biting comedy about a couple facing their forties and the midlife crisis, amid bitter laughter and reflections on the contemporary family.

Q&A with director Judd Apatow and lead actress Leslie Mann

Friday 14 November, 7.00 pm

Caught Stealing by Darren Aronofsky (2025, 107 mins)

A pulp comedy blending action and black humour set in 1990s New York. A game of masks with no escape, combining thriller, comedy and provocation, starring Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Q&A with Darren Aronofsky

Friday 14 November, 10.00 pm

Vortex by Gaspar Noé (2021, 142 mins)

A raw and heart-wrenching portrayal of the final days of a couple facing old age and the first symptoms of dementia, starring Dario Argento and Françoise Lebrun. An intimate drama about old age, fears and what remains of a shared life.

Presentation by director Gaspar Noé in conversation with Dario Argento

Saturday 15 November, 4.30 pm

Man in Black by Wang Bing (2023, 60 mins)

The artist Wang Xilin, naked at the age of 86 in an empty theatre, recounts the persecution and torture he endured in Mao’s China. A political and poetic documentary, an extraordinary encounter between two great filmmakers in an act of mutual freedom.

Q&A with Wang Bing, moderated by Aldo Spiniello

Saturday 15 November, 6.30 pm

Drive by Nicolas Winding Refn (2011, 100’)

A Hollywood stuntman working as a getaway driver for night-time heists finds himself protecting a woman and her son from a criminal gang. A nocturnal and romantic thriller, with stylised violence and an obsession with aesthetics that has redefined contemporary action cinema.

Q&A with director Nicolas Winding Refn

Saturday 15 November, 9.00 pm

The Neon Demon by Nicolas Winding Refn (2016, 118 mins)

A young model arrives in Los Angeles and finds herself caught up in a world of obsessive beauty and fierce rivalry. A hypnotic and provocative psychological thriller, where the pursuit of perfection turns into a nightmare of neon lights and extreme violence.

Introduction by director Nicolas Winding Refn

Saturday 15 November, midnight

Miracle at St. Anna by Spike Lee (2008, 160 mins)

Four African-American soldiers have their lives intertwined with those of partisans, civilians and German soldiers in the small Tuscan village of Sant’Anna di Stazzema during the Second World War. A tragic story of violence and racism, in memory of the past.

A presentation by director Spike Lee, who hopes to meet those who worked on the film with him.

The Director of the Turin Film Festival, Giulio Base, will welcome guests to the cinema and moderate the discussion.

Sunday 16 November, 11.00 am

A Special Day by Ettore Scola (1977, 106 mins)

Rome, 6 May 1938. Whilst the city celebrates Hitler’s visit, a neglected housewife and a man persecuted for his homosexuality meet in a council block. An intimate and understated drama, one of Ettore Scola’s most lucid masterpieces about two lonely souls who defy prejudice and intolerance.

Presented by Viggo Mortensen

Sunday 16 November, 5.30 pm

The Party by Sally Potter (2017, 71 mins)

One of the sharpest comedies in contemporary cinema. A single-act black-and-white play on the hypocrisies and secrets of the progressive establishment, reminding us that no one is immune to their own contradictions.

Q&A with Sally Potter, moderated by Gianluca Arnone