Padre Pio Sanctus 2003
Distributed by Janson Media, 88 Semmons Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640; 201-784-8488
Produced by Nova-T Produzione
Director n/a
DVD, color, 135 min.
Adult
Religious Studies
Date Entered: 04/07/2004
Reviewed by Ernarosa Tominich, MLS, Trocaire College Library, Buffalo NYThis is a DVD biography of Francesco Forgione (1887-1969) the saint from Pietrelcina, Italy, known as Padre Pio da Pietrelcina. It contains 135 minutes of filmed material most of which have not been seen before. Padre Pio carried on his hands and chest the stigmata of Christ. These wounds bled and were painful. Yet in spite of great physical suffering, Padre Pio continued his work with dignity and without complaints. People flocked from all over the world to see this holy man. This DVD covers his life, spirituality, and work. It includes the one-hour documentary film, Padre Pio: Man of Pain, as well as sequences filmed at both the beatification and the canonization ceremonies with Pope John Paul II.
Content is in five language tracks – Italian, French, English, Spanish and German. There are twenty-five original film clips, organized into eight categories:
- Interviews with Padre Pio
- The rooms in which he lived
- The places of his life
- The original documents
- His fellow brothers
- Towards sainthood
- Backstage
- Biographical notes
The photography, sequential narrative and organization are of professional quality. The subject matter is a bit dry, and the narrative at times hard to understand through a thick Italian accent. As it would not hold the attention of a younger audience for 135 minutes, this DVD is recommended for adult and subject specific research.