One of the must-see films of the year is the independent film Cabrini, which is based on the true story of a woman’s struggle for the equality, well-being, and happiness of immigrant orphans.
On International Women’s Day, March 8, the film premiered in South African cinemas across the country, along with the rest of the world.
The film is directed by award-winning Alejandro Monteverde and stars Cristiana Dell'Anna in the lead role.
It tells the poignant tale of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who met poverty, crime, and disease when she first arrived in New York City in 1889.
Cabrini embarked on a risky quest to persuade the antagonistic mayor to provide housing and medical attention for the most disadvantaged members of society.
Despite her poor health and limited English, Cabrini used her business acumen to create an empire of hope that the world had never seen before.
Film writer Rod Barr talks about the movie and how he transformed it into a moving and inspirational story.
“When I was first approached to write Cabrini, the project was pitched as a movie about ‘the first American saint’, and I immediately turned it down. I had zero interest in writing something I assumed would be a pious film for a niche audience.
“Then I read about Cabrini herself and discovered, to my astonishment, an absolute powerhouse of a woman, a disruptor on every level, an immigrant who came to New York with nothing and built the largest humanitarian empire the world had ever known.
“In short, hers was the greatest underdog story I’d ever heard. It was a story about hope, determination and love – things we need so badly in these cynical and divided times.”
For these powerful themes to shine through, Barr says he had to write a script that blasted through the stereotypes of what it means to be a saint and a nun.
“To do this, I wrote a story about a woman in a man’s world, a woman who somehow built a multinational conglomerate at a time when women couldn’t even vote.
“And Cabrini’s ‘empire’ was dedicated entirely to those at the margins, to the orphan and the immigrant with nothing. Her engine ran on love.’
I also knew I was writing about an immigrant – indeed, the ‘patron saint of Immigrants’ – at a a time when immigration is among the most contentious issues in our national life.
“I kept one idea in front of me at all times: Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants; she is not the patron saint of immigration. Immigration is a policy issue; the immigrant is a human being, and Cabrini was always and entirely focused on the suffering human being in front of her.
“Her message to us today is simple: look at the immigrant – look at everyone – first through the lens of love.’’
Saturday Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za