Martin Scorsese’s new documentary, “Aldeas, the Final Dream of Pope Francis,” premiered on Tuesday, April 21, at a private event hosted by the Vatican Film Library meant to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Pope Francis’ death.

The screening was organized by Scholas Occurrentes, a nonprofit organization founded by Pope Francis in 2013, which seeks to “empower and transform lives through education, innovation, and solidarity.” The origins of the organization can be traced to 2001, when Pope Franics began an educational project in Argentina while serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires. In its current form, Scholas Occurrentes promotes “a culture of encounter” in young people across the globe through athletic, artistic, educational and social programming.

Aldeas Scholas Films is the production company and cultural branch of the Scholas Occurrentes organization. Inspired by “Pope Francis’ final dream and his vision of a more human world,” Aldeas Scholas Films “brings together legends of cinema and communities worldwide to explore the depth and beauty of human life through film.”

In 2024, Aldeas released their first film, “Life Between Worlds.” Made in the context of World Youth Day 2023, the film highlights Pope Francis’ visit to the Portuguese coastal town of Cascais, where he visited young people making what they claimed was the “the largest work of art in the world” through a Scholas Occurrentes initiative. Francis completed the artwork, a mural, with a final brushstroke, symbolically uniting “the diversity of generations, origins, and beliefs of an entire community.”

Pope Francis spoke admiringly about the work of Aldeas in a public statement, describing it as “an extremely poetic and very constructive project because it goes to the roots of what human life is, human sociability, human conflicts…the essence of a life’s journey.”

Shortly after the death of Pope Francis in 2025, Mr. Scorsese announced the latest project of Aldeas Scholas Films, made in association with Sikelia Productions and Massive Owl Productions, and directed by Clare Tavernor and Johnny Shipley.

Originally announced as “Aldeas—A New Story,” and now renamed “Aldeas, the Final Dream of Pope Francis,” the film is a feature-length documentary collaboration between Pope Francis and Mr. Scorsese. It features hitherto unseen footage of the two men in conversation, including what filmmakers say is the last video-recorded interview Pope Francis gave before his death.

The film also explores the filmmaking efforts of local people from small villages in Italy, the Gambia and Indonesia, “showcasing intimate yet powerful stories written, produced, acted, and directed by the villagers themselves.” On the Aldeas website, they describe the project with the synopsis statement: “What happens when you hand a camera to a community and ask them, ‘Who are you?’ Every reality, even the smallest, is a world in itself and reveals the broader human experience.”

The film also includes footage of Mr. Scorsese’s visit to the small village in Sicily from which his grandfather came, connecting his own work as a filmmaker to the projects of the villagers featured in the film.

In a statement released shortly after the death of Pope Francis, Mr. Scorsese explained the motivation behind the project:

Now, more than ever, we need to talk to each other, listen to one another cross-culturally…. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by sharing the stories of who we are, reflected from our personal lives and experiences. It helps us understand and value how each of us sees the world. It was important to Pope Francis for people across the globe to exchange ideas with respect while also preserving their cultural identity, and cinema is the best medium to do that.

The film screening at the Vatican marked the first public showing of the film. In a post on the social media platform X, Antonio Spadaro, S.J., the undersecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, described the event as a “deeply moving occasion.” Father Spadaro also stated that he had introduced the film, offering a reflection on “the profound bond between Scorsese and Francis.”

Mr. Scorsese has spoken publicly about his deep respect for and admiration of Pope Francis. In a statement to Variety after the late pope’s death, Mr. Scorsese said: “The loss for me runs deep—I was lucky enough to know him, and I will miss his presence and his warmth. The loss for the world is immense. But he left a light behind, and it can never be extinguished.

Brigid McCabe is an O'Hare Fellow at America Media.