In his latest film, biographical documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018), coproduced internationally between Switzerland, Holy See of Rome (Vatican City State), Italy, Germany and France, acclaimed director Wim Wenders takes us on a personal journey with Pope Francis, condensing in just about an hour and a half Pope's urbi-et-orbi addresses, dispatches and other communications from an abundance of ideas and messages well based and inspired by traditional religious views, though often customized to the challenges of contemporary world. By thoroughly professing vow of poverty (which is, in Pope's position, modified to living on advanced necessities required and sufficient to respond to his functions), chastity, and obedience, just as Jesuits, he himself belongs to, do, in five years since he's been voted as the 266th and current Pope and sovereign of the Vatican City State, in his wisdom and compassion, modesty and kindness, Pope Francis indeed has established himself as one of the leading moral authorities of contemporary world, who certainly deserves to go by his adopted name, Francis, thanks to his adherence to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of the Franciscan order and its founder, Saint Francis of Assisi, who himself embraced and lived a simple life of poverty, penance, brotherly love, and peace.

Dedicated to his mission of speaking to people most deprived of life's essentials, in need of bare necessities, the poorest, homeless and hungry, sick and weak and otherwise vulnerable, he travels to a great many places in the world just to personally deliver his message of encouragement and hope to victims of unavoidable natural disasters (floods and quakes, draughts and famines, pandemics...), but also highly avoidable catastrophes, sadly mostly people-made ones (wars, transport and industrial, nuclear and radiation accidents...), and even doesn't shy away from visiting a good many people subjected to legal persecution, marginalization or social isolation (e.g. convicts in detention facilities). Certainly, it is not only deprived, but mainly good-willing people throughout the world who are his most attentive audience. Some can help more (e.g. members of the General Assembly of UN, American congressmen...), but anybody and everybody can make a difference, no matter how small, and his word gets to all... "Some of the hard-boiled congressmen were moved to tears" by his speech, which comes about much easier when one has been confirmed and recognized as A Man of His Word.

As an example, this is what Pope Francis says on avoiding consumerism: "The way to escape consumerism, this corruption, this competitiveness, this being enslaved to money, is the concreteness of day-to-day work, is tangible reality! I like to talk about the three 'T's: 'trabajo' (work), 'tierra' (land) and 'techo' (roof). 'Roof' means home, family. Recovering this sense of family. 'Land' means work, cultivating the land. And work means precisely the most noble thing that man has: to imitate God with your hands by creating!"

In a message chosen to conclude this cinematic journey, Pope Francis accentuates benefits of good humour and advises to keep smiling as often as we can. In that respect he brings to our attention St. Thomas More's Prayer for Good Humor, which, admittedly, he himself prays every day. Prayer starts with the plea "Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest", and reminds me in the second part of this verse of the proverb included in my high-school Latin language lessons (professor Josip Selak R.I.P. (Requiesce in pace)), already (incredibly) more than four decades ago: "A full stomach does not study willingly" (Plenus venter, non studet libenter), left by responsible authorities of the era (purposely?) incomplete, by omitting its additional, even truer remark: "but empty even less" (sed ieiunus eo minus), apparently by moderating this factual highlight out.

Touring the world with Pope Francis, exploring the workings of his mind and crossing the landscapes of his thoughts, in a sort of illustrated extended homily, never tires, but rather inspires... a lot to ponder on, even more to go by.

Beautiful film about a man with a simple message. We need to respect our planet, our tierra/earth on which our existence depends. We also need a roof/techo over our heads and meaningful work/trabajo to give us dignity. The film traces the early life of Saint Francis of Assisi and his links with our present day Pope. We follow Pope Francis around the world as he interacts with people in the most profound ways. Truly a message not to be missed.

Whether or not you agree with the Catholic Church - its beliefs and actions, etc., the film, shot in documentary and interview style, does provide one with a break from meaningless, shallow viewing. It provides us with the opportunity to contemplate on issues of child abuse, suffering, environmental decline of our planet, freedom, dignity and animal welfare. There were many poignant moments and comments made by Pope Francis. It was time well spent, at the theater.

Directed by Wim Wenders, this French-German-Italian-Swiss documentary covers many interviews with the pope and includes some footage of public speeches and outings as well. His activist attitude on environmental and economic issues is frequently expressed as is his admiration of Saint Francis of Assisi.

For those of us in the know (and with a certain opinion), the current pontiff has been a diamond in the rough compared to his two predecessors, particularly Pope John-Paul II. Francis applies a very intelligent concern (with relevant references to Christ's teachings) to what is truly ailing the world and spends relatively little attention on church dogma regarding same-sex relationships and women's reproductive rights. He also practices what he preaches in living under more modest circumstances compared to the lavish luxury enjoyed by his predecessors. Much of the film's beginning re-emphasizes these beliefs but it eventually becomes rather dull. As a single talking-head, the doc's impact fades for a while.

Luckily, Wenders adds more style in the second half that restores the energy created at the film's earliest moments. There is a very gripping speech given by Francis at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel. From there, the pope is seen visiting European refugee camps as well as the sick (presumably AIDS patients) in African hospitals. There are also moving scenes as he meets with Jewish and Muslim leaders - both secular and religious - sometimes simultaneously.

It's fair to say the documentary is incomplete in that there are no contradictory opinions to Pope Francis or the Vatican in modern times. In one scene, he speaks eloquently about the need to have women's voices heard when important collective decisions are being made. In a Youtube video of just over twenty-two minutes, Mary McAleese (former president of Ireland) points out how Francis' words need to be put into action. But despite some contradictory moments, this film does give a message of hope that a highly influential religious leader may help contribute to changes this planet actually needs. - dbamateurcritic

I thought it could have used more direct dialogue with the pope, but in all i loved it. We need this message heard...topic of earth, wages, immigration, family time, and culture of greed and miney money money.

Pope Francis is telling us all an inconvenient truth. We should all listen carefully, Catholic or not, Christian or not. It's a short documentary (around 90 minutes). Don't trust reviews (even mine) and give it a try to make your own opinion.

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Wim Wenders has had a varied and diverse career dating back 50 years with both narrative and documentary films. He is probably best known for PARIS TEXAS (1984), WINGS OF DESIRE (1987), and PINA (2011). As a filmmaker, he seems to excel at finding a slightly different way of looking at a subject or topic, and because of this, some of his projects are better received than others. This time out he is granted remarkable one-on-one access to Pope Francis, as well as some terrific archival footage obtained from the Vatican.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, Argentina became Pope in 2013, and he chose Francis as his papal name. Director Wenders spends much of the movie making the connection and correlation to his namesake St Francis of Assisi - some 800 years ago. Wenders' artistic flair comes through in the black and white dramatization sequences, which are meant to send us back to the time of Assisi so we can grasp the parallels.

This is no sales pitch for Catholicism, but rather an introduction to the man, his vision and approach. It seems clear that this "reformer" is what was needed after the ultra-conservative Pope Benedict "retired" (an unprecedented step). Rather than harp on the prior missteps, the film focuses on this most engaging and sincere man who is devoted to the causes of poverty and immigrant rights. He believes we should follow the Law of Nature: we should all live in harmony; and that we are all responsible for the world and community in which we live. Pope Francis tells us of his 3 T's: terra (land), trabajo (work), and techo (housing), and how those are the foundation of a future named "hope".

Beyond those elements, this is no sound bite film. It is quite humbling to listen to a man so universal in thought. He has zero tolerance for pedophilia inside the church or out, and he firmly believes in the rewards of listening - yet another dot Wenders tries to connect with St Francis of Assisi. The camera (and hence, us) travels the globe with the Pope - Africa, Brazil, Greece, the United States, Israel and more. So many countries, religions and races are touched. He even symbolically washes the feet of the less fortunate.

There is a good deal of talking head interviews with the Pope himself, and he never shies away from a question ... leading us to the single criticism of the film. Wenders, acting here as narrator and facilitator, simply doesn't push hard enough on some of the difficult topics that could lead to real insight and debate. So we are left to ponder if this wonderful man can mitigate change within a Church that is not much known for it (check out the demographics of the group of Cardinals Francis addresses). Wenders delivers an affectionate glimpse of the man, and we leave with a bit more admiration and hope - not such a bad thing.

As a Catholic I was curious to check out this documentary on Pope Francis. I came away humbled by the humility of this Pope. This movie is not preachy or overly zealot about Catholicism. It hits on some universal themes like love, forgiveness, and the impermanence of life. It really feels like the Pope is speaking to you directly. The narrator asked simple fundamental questions and Pope Francis answers theme.

I was surprise to learn some areas of the Pope's concerncs. Like science and the environment. It is a testament to the Pope that he reaches beyond the Roman Catholic Church to speak of the relationships with other faiths. That we are brothers to those other religions and to the heart of faith are not very different at all. - Dr. Wilson Triviño

This movie has a great message which describes humility through a decision this man has made. He quoted many verses from the Bible throughout the movie but it didn't state where to find them. The fact the much of the film showed him speaking in Spanish makes this an easy film for Spanish speaking people who would like to see it. Having the translation below what he said also made it easy for the times he spoke in other languages. The movie was worth it for me to see. I recommend it highly. Stay focused on the words. This movie was made very well for all people and religious sects. Enjoy!

I was so surprised when I saw the bad reviews for this movie. Actually, I can't think of a single mistake or error that could compromise this movie. I think people reviewed this as bad because they either haven't actually watched or have done it with a close minded set. This movie is about a man who speaks love from his heart. Love is his main resources. Of course he takes numbers and data into consideration, but it has to come in second, because love is what entagle us after all. In my opinion, if you disliked this movie, you've done it for a circumstance of your lives that other thing became more important than love. Love to all of you!!! Peace for all of you, wether you agree or disagree with me!!!

At times pope francis i feel is doing more than any pope before him. Other times he forces a political ideaology that is masked as christian faith and does more harm than good. People giving him a 1 are just being silly. People giving this movie a ten are swallowed up in the 'goodie goodie' vibe he tends to present. Somewhere in the middle is where it belongs. Hence my 5 stars

"Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" (2018 release; 95 min.) is a documentary about Pope Francis. As the movie opens, we are introduced to the thinking of St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian friar active in the late 12th/early 13th century. We then shift to "Buenos Aires, 1999" as the then-Archbishop addresses a crowd, and just as quickly we move to "St. Peter's Square, 2013", when the conclave elects Pope Francis. We are reminded that the pope is the first to take Francis as his papal name (to honor St. Francis of Assisi), the first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, and the first Jesuit pope. We then settle in to hear from Pope Francis. "Listen a lot, and speak just enough" seems to be the Pope's M.O. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from celebrated German documentarian Wim Wenders. Here he gets all-access to the Pope (and indeed the movie was made with full cooperation of the Vatican). Please note that this is NOT a biography of the Pope. In fact, we learn nothing about his background, other than being an Archbishop in Buenos Aires in the late 90s. As it turns out, the movie plays mostly as a private one-on-one discussion, one could even say, sermon by the Pope on a wide variety of topics, including poverty, social justice, the 'culture of waste', empathy towards others, our limited time on this earth, etc., but also some touchy ones such as the sex scandals that have plagued the Catholic church for decades now, and his position on gays and lesbians (by coincidence, today's headline-making news that the Pope tells a gay person "God made you like that and loves you like that" is not a new development and merely affirms what the Pope says in this documentary). Interestingly, the Pope also emphasizes the importance of a smile and a sense of humor (the Pope confesses that each day after his morning prayer, he reads Sir Thomas More's "Prayer For Good Humor"). Please note that you do NOT have to be a Catholic to come away from this film with something meaningful. To me, Pope Francis is a symbol of humility and HOPE. "The future has a name, and it is Hope", the Pope reminds us. Yes, Pope Francis may be a man of his word, but even more, he is a man of action, and in that sense, his life itself is a sermon.

"Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely (mostly seniors I might add). When the Pope talks directly into the camera (which is most of the time), it feels like he addresses you, and hence not surprisingly, one could hear a pin drop on the theater during much of the movie. If you have any interest in Pope Francis, you can count your blessings with this outstanding documentary. "Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Pope had an important message to convey to the world. I watched the film and I looked at his facial features and the reaction of the masses. I gathered he was talking about saving the earth, poverty, and condemning child exploitation. However, I do not speak Spanish, and the close caption words were cut off from the screen. I wish the theater, Maya, had gotten the right lens or whatever else they needed to play the film properly. But, two thumbs up for bringing independent films to the theater; and, even with the language barrier, the sincerity of the message came through anyway. Push on Pope Francis.....and two thumbs up Maya for bringing the film to theatres.

My first review was deleted, and so was a lot of other reviews.

Free speach is not what it used to be....

I only pointed out that a lot of reviewers gave this a 1 rating without having seen it, based on their "Christianity is bad" belifs. And that way of being an atheist is pretty lame if you ask me.

My guess is i offended a sjw or two, so at least it was well wort it :)

Im giving this "documentary" a 1 star rating because its one big commercial for social constructivism, elitist morallity and commercialized identity politics.

If there where a hint of discussion about the popes "being good and ohh so tolerant" morality and why it differs so much from other popes and what it means in a social and historical context, i wouldent dislike it so much

A good documentary for the soul about a man that is unafraid to love amongst men and women of different backgrounds and ways of life. He is not a leader of one country or continent or even this world. Rather a Shepard of our souls. Excellent!

'POPE FRANCIS - A MAN OF HIS WORD': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary centering around the life of Pope Francis, and his dreams. It was directed, produced and co-written by Wim Wenders (who was asked by the Vatican to make this film). The movie is 96 minutes long, and it's received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics. It's also a modest hit at the Box Office as well, in indie theaters. I found it to be excruciatingly boring.

The film tells the story of Pope Francis. Pope Francis is the 266th (and current) Pope, as well as the sovereign of the Vatican City State. It features many interviews with him, as well as others who know him, and most of it is told using English subtitles. We learn of the Pope's beliefs, and passion, as he tries to reform the Catholic Church.

Growing up Catholic, I found it to be all very interesting, but it's also extremely boring. I'm usually fascinated with movies that deal with religion, especially Catholicism (because that's how I grew up), but I just could not get involved in this film. I also think that Pope Francis is one of the best things to happen to the Catholic Church in recent history. Still the movie nearly put me to sleep, and I just can't recommend it.

A true work of art and the best documentary I've seen at the theater in at least 12 years, "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" takes a beguiling approach: Rather than being a film about Pope Francis, it is a document of the problems in our world today and a presentation of the pope's message in response to it. This is not hagiography either in the sense of being "pro-Francis," "anti-Francis," or anything about Francis at all. It is a film that allows him to present his message in candid interviews where he looks directly into our eyes, challenging us to take his words seriously as we also accompany him on his journeys to places that nobody else wants to go.

Wim Wenders, the award-winning German New Wave director, brings real artistry to this work. He is clearly an artist first and a Christian (no longer identifying with any particular church) second. Wenders spent two years interviewing Pope Francis over four sessions with a camera that allowed the pontiff to speak directly into the camera. He used a hand-cranked camera from 1920 to present footage of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, suggesting that the message of Pope Francis is the message of St. Francis, i.e. the message of the gospels and of Jesus Christ.

There is deep compassion for our struggling humanity in this movie. Wenders presents the global problems of our day and simply holds up the response of Pope Francis toward it, inviting viewers to accept or reject the actual message of the man rather than make ad hominem arguments for or against his person. It's a refreshing approach that's quite different from many biographies of public figures, as Wenders allows Francis to be humble enough to make his message about God's response to the sufferings of this world rather than about him personally. I have never seen a documentary quite like this one before and I believe it's in the top five of all the documentaries I've ever seen. It's so simple, so true, so pure, and yet also so challenging to our (and my own) complacency about accepting injustice in the world. Rather than quibble with the pope's response to the issues of our day, the movie simply shows his response and invites me to ask myself: What am I doing about it? What can I do? The revolutionary values of the gospels shine through all possible encrustations in this movie that may be one of the best religious films I've seen in a very long time.

Truly inspirational and true to his words that delivers in his action and deeds.. I am fortunate to be in the Catholic Church following the footsteps of my master... please watch with family and friends.. don't keep any bias for the Church rather watch the message delivered in sincerity and a future with lots of hope and prayers... God bless the creator of this movie / documentary and bringing the message to all men and women of this world....

Wim Wenders was, in the 70's and 80's one of the most important and innovative auteur directors. Now he makes commercials.

For the past ten years he has been working mostly on paid product, such as commercials for beer companies, fashion companies, or in this case an infomercial for the Vatican TV, which is part of its public relations arm and which paid for this "documentary."

Wenders literally inverts Rome and Francis response to the abuse scandals, which remains a systematic cover-up, portrays Francis, who has the carbon footprint of Godzilla as a climate crusader, and portrays himself as an advocate of the poor based on kissing a few feet at some religious holiday. Really?

Where to start? This rocked my world. I always naively thought the Pope was pretty much a Christian like me. Based on this Vatican approved and produced puff piece, I certainly doubt it. He appears to just be an affable CEO of a large organization. Through the course of the movie salvation through faith in the Savior Jesus Christ is never mentioned. Satan isn't even mentioned, despite much talk about his handiwork. Francis is undoubtedly a nice, well intentioned guy. I'll let his words speak for themselves: "Poverty is at the heart of the gospel." (No, the shed blood of Jesus is) "What hope have youth without jobs?" (Hope in a savior, Jesus Christ) "Work brings dignity." (God imparts dignity to us) He rails against consumerism, but ironically bemoans the lack of employment. "Soil, water and air and all living beings of creation are under permanent threat." "We are not alone, we have Jesus our older brother and many other brothers." "The model of Saint Francis shows (drug addicts) a way, a revolutionary path." (not Jesus?) "I only ask God that... death won't find me empty and alone, not having done enough." (Does he read the Bible?) "I am not eternal. Nobody is, only God is eternal." (John 3:16--"that they may have eternal life...") "Perhaps (God) the Father could not have imagined so deep a fall and profound an abyss (as the Holocaust)." (uh...omniscience?) "Building a wall is not a solution. Closing borders solves nothing." ( Have you , good sir, not noticed that your ENTIRE COUNTRY, Vatican City, is surrounded by a HUGE wall?!) "Never take a proselytising attitude. Never." "Protecting the planet, our home, is our most pressing task today." "Who is the poorest of the poor? Mother Earth! We have plundered and abused her!" "God does not see us with his eyes. He sees us with his heart." And finally, this: "the biblical story of creation is a mythical form of expression. Creation is a development, an evolution." There are plenty more faithless quotes that shocked me. Again, nice guy with quirky, unChristian sentiments and observations. I did like his take on love being dependent on freedom and free will. That indicated there may be some depth and true knowledge of God somewhere. The film maker, Wim Wenders, also narrates in a hushed, pretentious and overly dramatic monotone. I would have loved to know more about the man biographically, like the wonderful Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc "RBG", which covered her entire life, not just her current position on the Supreme Court. You got to know the whole person and what shaped her philosophy on life.

As the title says, a "Man of His Word" Very well done with a message that is universal regardless of what your religion might be!

Im not so sure of this film i thought the agenda behind makes it a little distracting for me. This could have been an oscar worthy film but fell out just a liitle. I dont like this film.

This documentary shows why Pope Francis is loved and hated. He is merciful to the weak, hurting and vulnerable and he has no problem speaking hard truths to power.Kind of like Francis of Assisi, kind of like Jesus. I can not recommend this film high enough.