Film Review: "John Paul II: The Man, The Pope, and His Message"

The Catholic Lane ^ | 10/22/11 | Leticia Velasquez

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Catholics have long enjoyed the work of papal videographer Alberto Michelini. Now, under a special arrangement with the Vatican, a four DVD set on the life of Blessed John Paul II has been made available. It contains five hours of dramatic documentary footage, organized by topic into ten films that are each 30 minutes in length. Each film focuses on a different aspect of the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II. These include: youth, children, the poor, the family, Marian devotion, historic events, a day in the papal apartments and the working world.

The series is available in English, French, and Spanish. The companion website for this series wwwjohnpaulseries.com has free downloads of companion discussion guides for leaders and participants for each volume with tools for group discussion. The series an ideal tool for teachers to use in Catholic schools, CCD programs and parish adult education programs, and study groups in private homes. It would also be ideal teaching tool for home educators to teach their children about the legacy of Blessed John Paul II.

Volume 8, I Am Your Voice is a powerful film on human rights; Pope John Paul is seen interacting with and addressing the poor, the sick and persecuted people from every corner of the globe. A heartbreaking cry of misery is heard from the slums of Latin America and Calcutta, the prairies of Canada, the plazas of South Korea, the Australian Outback, the savannahs of Africa and the shipyards of Gdansk. South Americans who are living in squalid slums while neighbors enjoy luxury occupying land was stolen from them, African lepers living in filth whom the government has forgotten, workers who are deprived of just wages and political freedom, aboriginal tribes who are proud of their culture but whose numbers are decimated–all of........