Pope Leo XIV welcomed a group of Hollywood luminaries to the Vatican on Saturday, including Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and director Spike Lee.
They enjoyed a private audience with the Pope at the Apostolic Palace, where Blanchett presented the pontiff with a bracelet and Lee gave him a New York Knicks jersey.
During the meeting, the Pope described cinema as a source of "hope” but also warned that theatre closures and digital algorithms were threatening the quality of storytelling and the communal cinema-going experience.
“Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he said.
Nonetheless, he said that the movie industry should not give up but "cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value" of cinema-going.
He also urged Hollywood to reject formulaic movies and “not be afraid to confront the world’s wounds” by making movies about difficult subjects like “violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction and forgotten wars".
“Not everything has to be immediate or predictable. Defend slowness when it serves a purpose, silence when it speaks, and difference when evocative,” he said.
Blanchett, who also serves as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, told reporters she was deeply moved by the Pope’s message.
The bracelet she gifted to the Pope represented solidarity with displaced people — a cause that is close to her heart.
Lee's Knicks jersey carried the number 14, which was a reference to the Pope’s alma mater, Villanova University.
The audience included actors, directors and producers from all around the world.
