It was a phrase by Pope Francis, on monks and cloister nuns like “lighthouses that illuminate the journey”, to hit the Spanish director Santos Blanco. From here began his journey, inside 12 cloistered monasteries, places that usually remain closed in the world. Close to the great questions of man’s existence
Starts precisely from a sentence of Pope Francisso the whole world in these days is in mourning, the documentary film Free – duc in altumdedicated to cloistered monasteries. Referring to monks and cloistered nuns, Bergoglio had said: “The world and the Church need you as headlights that illuminate the path of men and women of our time”.
It is this phrase that has hit the Spanish director Santos Blancowho asked himself: what philosophy of life or inner fullness must have these people because the Pope uses them as reference points, as headlights that illuminate us? Thus began a journey that culminated in Free – duc in altumat the cinema as an event output on 29 and 30 Aprildistributed by Bosco Films and Arkadia Group.
Large questions and direct testimonies
For centuries many men and many women have given up everything to dedicate their life to contemplation. What leads a person to undress the world who knows and retire from it for the rest of his life? How do you think a person driven by this stimulus? The documentary, through direct testimoniesdiscovers a simple and deep everyday life, where prayer, work and community life intertwine in an existing entirely dedicated to God.
Free – duc in altumproduced by Bosco Films and colorful Producciones, with the support of the declaration of the declaration, approaches the great questions of man’s existence, with a single goal: to listen to them.
The words of Santos Blanco: “We hope that this film can help the public to discover the truth about some themes that touch us every day but that are often neglected because today’s world pushes us in another direction”.
Inside 12 cloistered monasteries
Free – duc in altum He was born during the pandemic, from a personal experience of the director and the producer and distributor Lucia Gonzalez-Barandiaran, both involved in a campaign in support of the monasteries in economic difficulty. On this occasion, Blanco had the opportunity to live a few days in cloister: an experience that marked the beginning of a research and documentation path and that has turned into a profound reflection on spirituality and the sense of freedom.
The film was shot in several provinces of Spain between Burgos, Madrid, Navarra, Salamancaincluding San Pedro de Cardeña, Las Batuecas and Monastery Leire. The camera managed to enter twelve cloistered monasteries, places that usually remain closed in the world, to talk to people who have decided to retire from the world to “reach the authentic freedom», As they themselves support, and find answers to the deepest questions and dilemmas of man.
“Getting permission to access these mysterious and mystical places was a great challenge for us,” said the director. «There are few occasions when the outside world has access to monastic life with cameras. It is even more exceptional that people who live there open their soul to our cinematographic troupes ».
In this exclusive video A clip extracted from the film Free – duc in altum.
