Vatican-produced film nominated for Oscar for first time

The short documentary “Green Lava”, created with the support of the Vatican, is nominated for an Oscar. This is the first time in almost a century the Vatican has participated in the award. From 18 to 24 September, the film will be shown at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, after which the film crew will complete the paperwork for submission.

Green Lava is 39 minutes long and follows the life of Giacomo Mattivi, who was born with Duchenne myodystrophy, a rare genetic disease that causes muscle atrophy. Mattivi lives in a village in the Dolomites. He is 23 years old, the average life expectancy with Duchenne myodystrophy is about 30 years. In January 2022, his brother died from the effects of the same disease.

The film is directed by Italian Lia Beltrami and Turkish director and producer Ali Aksu. Beltrami lives in the same village as the Mattivi family. “It is wonderful to see in the modern world how a community has rallied around Giacomo, how it is automatically treated with kindness and acceptance. “I hope the world will see this film and be inspired to be like the people of the mountains,” she said.

Kartyn was produced by Beltrami’s Emotions to Generate Change in collaboration with Vatican News, Radio Vaticana and Vatican Media. The film will not officially represent the Vatican at the Oscars. Unlike feature films, a short meter does not require an official application or approval from the national government or committee of a particular country.

Eugene Belousov