Pope Francis: How cinema has explored papacy and the man at the helm of Vatican

New Delhi: Pope Francis, the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, figured in many films and documentaries centred on him and exploring his extraordinary legacy.

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from Buenos Aires, presided over the Catholic Church for more than 12 years and was known for injecting a breath of fresh air into the 2,000-year-old institution with his progressive views.

He was the first pope to play a cameo in the 2017 film "Beyond the Sun", which was directed by Graciela Rodriguez Gilio and Charlie Mainardi and revolved around stories of hope, faith and courage from the Bible.

German filmmaker Wim Wenders famously explored the late Pope's life in his 2018 documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word. The documentary premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It features the Pope addressing various global issues, aiming to connect directly with viewers.

In an interview with the Film Society Lincoln Centre, Wenders said the documentary began after a cinephile prefect at Vatican contacted him.

"My secretary came with a letter and said you have got mail from the Vatican and it was in Italian," Wenders said, sharing that he was asked in the letter whether he was interested in exploring a project on Pope Francis' life.

Wenders said he had some 55 questions and the Pope answered them all "quite spontaneously". The 2013 documentary "Francis: The Pope From the New World", which was filmed in Buenos Aires, features interviews and archival footage to draw an intimate portrait of the Pope and his efforts towards the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden.

A 2015 Italian film "Call Me Francis" revolved around his life as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires before he became the Pope. The 2019 film "The Two Popes", directed by Fernando Meirelles, starred Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

It is set before the events of 2013 when Pope Benedict XVI resigned. It follows him as he tries to convince the Cardinal to reconsider his decision to resign as archbishop. He tells Bergoglio that he is planning to abdicate.

Bergoglio took over as the pope in March 2013.

"The Two Popes" was nominated for best actor, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay.

Renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese met Pope Francis in 2023 and announced a film about Jesus. It was not just Pope Francis. The papacy has also held fascination for the common public.

"Conclave", a 2024 film deconstructs the mystery of how a pope is elected. It is set just after the death of a pope and revolves around the papal election process and the College of Cardinals convene to elect the Bishop of Rome.

Directed by Edward Berger, the film featured a starry cast in Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. It was nominated at the Academy Awards in eight categories including the best picture. The film won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.