Rose Pacatte

Appreciation: Today, we are praying for the repose of the souls of Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and the seven other people who died in the helicopter crash near Calabasas, California, Jan. 26.

Review: Michael Petroni says of his show, "Your perception is only through the character's point of view and human experience, and this leaves it up to you, the audience, to decide the meaning of what's going on, and what the bigger picture is."

In an interview with actress Valerie Pachner, who plays Franz Jägerstätter's wife in the film "A Hidden Life," Pachner talks about trying to get close to a character, the idea of someone who stands up for what is right because it is the right thing to do.

Though the new film about a series of encounters between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis is largely fictional, it deals well with church history, the papacy, the mysteries of faith and communion. It also has something to say about the antagonistic level of public discourse in the U.S.

Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, the new film is a visual and aural epic that shows how an American family grapples to find meaning in their lives amid struggles, bad choices and life itself.

William Kelly is a peace activist who contributes to social transformation through the art he creates. A recent work provides the framework for the documentary "Can Art Stop a Bullet: The Big Picture."

Beyond the Amazon rainforest fires, greed fuels another deadly practice within the region. An alarming documentary informs audiences about the pervasive harm of unregulated gold mining.

Star and executive producer Andrea Anders says she hopes audiences will find the family comedy, based on the 1983 movie, relatable: "Both parents are stumbling, and they keep on trying."

"Skin" is a small, powerful, raw well-acted film that gives a close-up look at people who believe they have been left behind by society, that they have some kind of righteous claim to superiority. It is also about change.

Review: I beg to differ with my colleagues' lackluster opinion of the film because the "photorealism" illusion of live action is gorgeous. When "The Circle of Life," sung by many members of the Broadway musical cast, booms out at the beginning of the film it goes right to the heart. 

Famous for lavish set designs and known for bringing Shakespeare's work to the screen, Franco Zeffirelli was the Vatican's choice to stage the telecasts for the 1978 papal installation and the 1983 Holy Year opening.

Of the 1,845 feature films submitted from 39 countries for the Cannes Film Festival competition to the selection committee, 26% were directed by women. Here are my final reviews of the competition films.

The 72nd Cannes Film Festival ended on May 25 with the awarding of the jury prizes. Our ecumenical jury watched the awards ceremony on television at the house of the parish priest of Notre-Dame de Bon Voyage with about 30 other people.

Masses, ecumenical prayer services and fellowship hours are integrated into the screening schedule for the jury here at Cannes, just in case you thought we were out partying on the yachts in the bay. 

There are five criteria for judging films for the Ecumenical Jury Prize, involving artistic quality; religious perspective; responsibility; universal impact; and an ability to further future discussion.

"A Hidden Life" is a contemplative biopic of the Austrian conscientious objector who was beatified by the Catholic Church. But Malick avoids hagiography, choosing instead to focus on the inner journey of a man and wife.

Daily Easter Reflections: Film stories create a space, a table around which we can gather to share faith and create community that extends an invitation to transformation and even mysticism — especially in the Easter season.

The film "Tolkien" is a fine introduction to the life of J.R.R. Tolkien and gave me a sense of the key influences on his writings. But the film has some limitations. 

Patrick Creadon's new documentary, "Hesburgh," depicts a priest who raised the bar for higher education in the United States, especially for how Catholic colleges and universities would encounter the ideas and realities of the modern world.

"Mary Magdalene" is the best film I have seen depicting the short period of Jesus' public life and his crucifixion, death and resurrection. Rooney Mara as Mary conveys a contemplative, firm spirit open to God's will.