Vatican-produced film put forward for an Oscar for the first time

The film “Green Lava” runs for 39 minutes.

The short documentary film “Green Lava,” created with the support of the Vatican, is being submitted for Oscar consideration. This is the first time in the nearly century-long history of the awards that the Vatican will take part in them. From September 18 to 24, the film will be screened at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, after which the film crew will complete the paperwork for submitting the application, reports Variety.

“Green Lava” runs for 39 minutes and tells the story of the life of Giacomo Mattivi, who was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy—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 for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is about 30 years. In January 2022, his brother died from the consequences of the same disease.

The film’s directors are Italian filmmaker 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 the community has rallied around Giacomo, how he is automatically treated with kindness and acceptance. I hope that the world will see this film and be inspired to resemble the people of the mountains,” her statement says.

The film was released by Beltrami’s company Emotions to Generate Change in collaboration with Vatican News, Radio Vaticana, and Vatican Media. Officially, the film will not represent the Vatican at the Oscars. Unlike feature-length films, short films do not require an official submission or approval from the national government or committee of a particular country.

The contortions of the Janus state will not erase Muscovy’s allegiance.