A new documentary marking the 400th anniversary of the inauguration and consecration of St Peter’s Basilica will screen at the Rome Film Festival on Friday. Source: Vatican News.
Pétros ení: Discovering the Origins, features images of the crypt that houses the Apostle’s tomb, which, hidden away and modest in appearance, lies within the Vatican Necropolis.
Produced by AF Films, in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication’s Vatican Media and the Fabric of St Peter, the documentary is directed by Spanish filmmaker Paula Ortiz and written by Andrea Tornielli, in consultation also with archaeologist Pietro Zander, the leading expert on the Vatican Necropolis.
American actor Chris Pratt guides viewers on this fascinating journey through faith, history, and archaeology, deep into the most concealed depths of the great Basilica.
The journey is enriched and made extraordinary by Pope Leo XIV, who appears in the final scenes to explain the figure of Peter and the significance of his tomb’s presence beneath the church, whose colonnade – designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini – embraces Christendom and the entire world.
“It was an incredible honour to collaborate with Pope Leo and the Vatican on this project. The story of St Peter is foundational to the Christian faith, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and access I was given to bring his legacy to the screen,” Pratt said.
The history of the Basilica is closely intertwined with the life of Peter, the fisherman from Galilee to whom Jesus entrusted the leadership of the nascent Church. Peter was martyred in Rome on the Vatican Hill during persecutions under the Emperor Nero.
From the earliest centuries of Christianity, the area where he was buried became a centre of devotion and worship. So much so that many converts to the new religion wished to be buried beside him.
Step by step, through a journey back in time and with the help of images never before captured on film, viewers are drawn into an exploration of Peter’s tomb.
The first emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine, sought to preserve the tomb. To build the first great basilica, he ordered part of the slopes of Vatican Hill to be levelled, incorporating the area surrounding the tomb into the new structure.
Through historical accounts and archaeological discoveries, the documentary guides viewers toward identifying the Apostle’s burial place in the Vatican Necropolis.
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A new documentary about St Peter’s tomb features Pope Leo XIV (Vatican News)
