On October 4, 2022, Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a new film The Letter – A message for our earth, was launched at the Vatican and released to a global audience via YouTube. The feature-length documentary film was written and directed by award-winning nature director, Nicolas Brown – and produced by Oscar-winning company Off the Fence. It features Pope Francis in a heartfelt, and at times heart-wrenching, dialogue with environmental activists, youth and scientists from different parts of the world affected most by climate injustice. Together they explore the reality of climate change and how it is impacting each of their lives, leaving little room for doubt about the crisis the world is facing and the urgency of response.

I had the privilege of having a front-row seat in the making of the film, and was part of the dialogue with Pope Francis, thanks to my role as Chair of the Laudato Si’ Movement – the burgeoning global movement which has emerged since 2015 to promote ecological conversion in the Church.

Bringing the margins to the center

The creation of a dialogue with the margins is something Pope Francis has called for throughout his Pontificate. The idea of the film came about through a deep desire on the part of the Laudato Si’ Movement, together with the Vatican Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, to make more visible the unheard voices in the current discourse on climate change. In Laudato Si’, but equally in other writings of the Pope, there is a consistent call to bring the margins to the center. But who are the ‘margins,’ and where is the ‘center’? Through a long process of exploration (it has taken four years to produce the film from start to finish!), the team producing the film landed on four ‘voices’ which are systematically overlooked in our consideration of the climate crisis – and a process to bring those voices into the heart of the global debate through film.

Four voices

There are, of course, many unheard voices, but those captured in The Letter reflect groups that truly are invisible to us in the Global North – and hardly enter our thinking when it comes to climate policy and action: the voice of the youth and future generations; the voice of climate refugees fleeing poverty; the voice of the indigenous peoples and finally, the voice of wildlife and disappearing ecosystems. Through my advocacy work with Trócaire, the Irish Caritas, over 20 years I saw first-hand how these voices are ignored. Bringing these four voices together, and weaving the stories together, the film helps to make the big issue of climate change very real and deeply personal. As I say at one point in the film: “Once you know, you cannot look away.” The film helps connect this crisis to our deepest sense of humanity.

A clarion call to action

One moment stands out for me in the making of this film – a moving encounter between those representing the different ‘voices’ and Pope Francis in Rome. Having listened carefully, the Pope retells the story of the tower of Babel and interprets it for the current times. He talks about the ‘economic arrogance’ the world is captured by right now and the failure to even see the impact on humans who are forced to work as ‘slaves.’ Meanwhile, ‘Nature is screaming… Stop!’ The Pope then turns to the group assembled in the room and realizes he was deep in thought, speaking in Spanish to express himself personally. Then, one by one, he calls us into a purposeful unity in which each ‘voice,’ each person has a role, ‘like in a choir.’ He ends by saying: “Right now, unity means saving Mother Earth, saving ourselves, and saving our children.’ It is a clarion call to collective action, leaving nobody out.

Together in Assisi

I think what stays with me most after the experience of making the film is a firm belief that God is at work here. The Holy Spirit is at work – we are humble servants of something bigger than us. And God is in a hurry. We are all playing catch-up. In reality, I only spent a week with the protagonists in the film – and yet it seems like they are now part and parcel of my family. How is that possible? We are in weekly contact on WhatsApp; we share plans for the future. Our week together is now etched on so many people’s hearts and minds. It is like we are together with Pope Francis, together in Assisi perennially! We felt we never left Assisi.

Climate change is happening

I would encourage you to make use of this film. The message is one of unity. I think everyone will take something different from the film. I think one thing that stays with everyone after watching it is that this is real. Climate change is happening. There is a point where, as Katherine Hayoe puts it – we need to come to terms with the magnitude of the reality of what is happening. This film has the capacity to do that. It gets under the skin even of the most hardened hearts – It is profoundly challenging in its raw authenticity.

This is not by chance either. The way the narrative was created means that everyone can find themselves reflected in one of the protagonists. The clear message emerging for me is that everyone has a part to play – regardless of beliefs, social position, role, etc. Look at the protagonists – we are all very different, but that diversity is the strength of the movement. Some have very precise talents and skills, while others like me find themselves gathering people together. I was particularly touched by the passage when the Pope said that unity today means working together to save our Mother Earth, save ourselves, and save our children. My hope is that we will grasp this opportunity to reach out across differences and work together for ‘our common home’ at every level.

Lorna Gold

The film is now available and free to view on www.TheLetterFilm.org

Information on how to host a local screening is also available on the website.