The life of Carlo Acutis is coming to theaters. The idea for the film, entitled Heaven Can't Wait and directed by José María Zavala, came following the teenager's beatification in October 2020.
One of the film's goals is to show the life of a normal young man.
JOSÉ MARÍA ZAVALA
Director
His life is important for young people all over the world. They need a mirror to look into and that mirror is Carlo Acutis. I say a normal boy, but he was extraordinary and the extraordinary made him ordinary. He had his hobbies, his interests. He lived life well because God wants us to be happy even here on earth, and he died offering all his sufferings for love of the Church and of others. That says it all.
Carlo died of leukemia in 2006. During his life, he used the Internet to share the Gospel.
For the director, Carlo's example is crucial today, particularly for young people, for whom he can be a model when it comes to using social media to do good.
JOSÉ MARÍA ZAVALA
Director
Carlo Acutis is a very important source of inspiration in today's social media, which are polluted, suffocating, full of negative, pessimistic and hopeless news...And Carlo is the opposite: he is optimism, joy, normality, hope...In short, flooding social media with the messages Carlo Acutis carries is essential today, especially among young people.
The film shows real images and testimonies of Carlo's life, including his mother's own stories. But, it is historical fiction and good for the whole family.
JOSÉ MARÍA ZAVALA
Director
Everyone who sees the film—parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren—entire families can appreciate its messages of hope and what the true meaning of life should be, which is the love of Christ and the love of Christ embodied in others. That is, to stop looking at yourself and be concerned about those around you. The message can be summed up in a single phrase: to be happy making others happy.
Heaven Can't Wait was shot in two different locations: Madrid and Assisi, where the body of Blessed Carlo Acutis is on permanent display.
CA
TR: KG
