Munich, 24 April 2025. As a big admirer of the arts, Pope Francis frequently pointed out his deep relationship with cinema, fostered through his parent in his youth. As reported by Deadline, one movie stood out: Federico Fellini’s Oscar-winning “La Strada”.

Pope Francis, real name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, stated that the story of Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), a peasant girl who gets sold to the brutal circus strongman Zampano (Anthony Quinn) and later falls in love with the gentle tight-rope artist Il Matto (Richard Basehart), was his favorite movie of all time. He even felt a connection between the teachings of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi and La Strada’s message of love and suffering.

In a video, published by the Vatican amid La Strada’s 70th anniversary, Francis stated:

“As a young boy I saw many films by Fellini, but La Strada stayed in my heart. This film begins with tears and ends with tears, begins on the seashore and ends on the seashore, but what stayed with me most was the scene with the madman and the stone which gives meaning to the life of the girl.”

La Strada, directed in 1954 by Italian film maker Federico Fellini, became one of the most renowned works of Italian realism. The movie was produced by Carlo Ponti and Dino De Laurentiis. Beta handles world sales.