At the heart of the documentary is an exclusive interview with H.E. Monsignor Rino Fisichella, one of the most authoritative voices of the Catholic Church, who addresses key issues of contemporary debate using a language that is accessible and essential, yet capable of conveying the powerful force of Hope.

Pontifex moves between different styles and registers: alongside its documentary core, it incorporates a fictional dimension that gives shape to a symbolic and universal narrative. Through an imaginative dialogue between three characters—a woman (Hope), a man (the Suicidal Man), and a third figure (the World)—the film reflects on the relationship between human beings and faith, between crisis and the search for meaning. Guiding us on this journey are actors Rossella Brescia, Cesare Bocci, and Gianni Rosato.

The film is further enriched by a selection of archival materials of extraordinary value, provided by Vatican Media and the Istituto Luce, including previously unseen footage from Pope Francis’ “Fridays of Mercy” visits during the 2016 Jubilee Year: moving and unexpected encounters with the sick, the elderly, people with disabilities, children, and often overlooked communities reached by the Pope with profound humanity.

Pontifex is not only a document of faith—also evidenced by the Patronage of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization—but a human and visual journey through the symbolic places of the Jubilee city: its most authentic neighborhoods, places of worship, and the face of a city that welcomes pilgrims from all over the world on their path toward the Holy Door. The result is a mosaic of images, words, and music that conveys unique emotions within the spiritual and universal framework of the Christian message.