Latest / The Lila Rose Show / E100: Behind The Movie Cabrini w/ Executive Producer Eduardo Verastegui

Transcript

E100: Behind The Movie Cabrini w/ Executive Producer Eduardo Verastegui · The Lila Rose Show

0:00
It's impossible to make a film for everybody.
0:02
I want to reach those who are not going to torch how you do
0:05
it, to art and to works that are hard to be against what she did.
0:09
And it's obvious that she got the strength from heaven, from
0:13
God. This movie is perfect for this
0:15
time. So many people didn't even know
0:16
what a woman is anymore. You know, come and seek a
0:19
breathing, and you will understand what the powerful
0:21
woman is when they recognize who their trader is and when they
0:24
put God into the center of their lives.
0:31
Hey everybody, Welcome back to the Lila Rose Podcast.
0:34
Today we're going to be talking again with Eduardo Verasticki.
0:37
He's a repeat back to the podcast and he is a filmmaker, A
0:39
producer. He also recently ran to be the
0:42
president of Mexico. And before that, he left a very
0:45
successful career as one of the lead actors in Mexico, in the
0:48
telenovela space, had a radical conversion to Christianity, and
0:53
then devoted his life wholeheartedly to God.
0:56
He has helped produce and acted in multiple films since,
0:58
including the amazing pro-life film Bella from 15 years ago,
1:02
Sound of Freedom, the recent amazing hit.
1:04
We actually had him on the show last summer to talk about Sound
1:07
of Freedom. He was in the movie as well as
1:08
helping produce the movie, and now he's here to talk about
1:12
Cabrini, the latest creation from Eduardo and his team and
1:16
distributed by Angel Studios. I've already done my movie
1:19
review on this podcast to talk about Cabrini, but we're going
1:22
to go behind the scenes with Eduardo.
1:24
We're going to talk about some of the criticism that Cabrini
1:26
has received from both Catholics and radical anti life feminists.
1:31
We're going to talk about what went into Cabrini, the heart and
1:34
soul behind it, and some of Eduardo's own experience being
1:38
involved with the film. We're also going to hear a
1:40
little sneak peek about what is next for Eduardo and his team,
1:43
and I couldn't be more excited about it.
1:46
I really mean that what they're going to do next is truly a
1:49
dream come true for me to get to see what they're going to create
1:52
next after the Caprini. So make sure to listen to this
1:55
whole episode and you'll hear about that at the end.
1:57
As always, don't forget to subscribe to the show if you
1:59
haven't already. Thank you so much for listening
2:01
to the Lila Rose Podcast. And if you're not already
2:04
supporting us on Patreon or Locals, please do.
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That's how this podcast can reach more people.
2:09
Eduardo, welcome back to the podcast.
2:12
Thank you so much. Thank you for for your support
2:16
and everything that we do. Yeah, so last time we talked
2:19
about Sound of Freedom, which was amazing, and now you are on
2:23
tour to promote another amazing film.
2:26
I mean, it's absolutely amazing. It brought me to tears.
2:29
It inspired me. But Cabrini is now in theaters.
2:33
Well, thank you so much. This project, first time I heard
2:37
about Cabrini was 20 years ago, actually 90 years ago when I met
2:42
uses Woffington and Sean Woffington, Lejandro Monteverde
2:47
and Leo Severino myself. We flew to Philadelphia to meet
2:50
with us and Sean to discuss Bella.
2:55
As you know, they finance our movie Bella and they became our
3:01
executive producers and business partners in 2004.
3:06
Wow. Three years ago.
3:07
It's it's been a long time. And then we heard for, you know,
3:12
we heard for the first time Mother Cabrini, when you just
3:15
told us that she was the same that that he, you know, has a
3:19
lot of devotion to her and but I, you know, we never thought
3:22
about making a movie about Mother Cabrini.
3:24
It was until we finished Bella. Then he started talking about
3:28
the possibility of making a movie one day about Mother
3:30
Cabrini. But then we started doing Little
3:32
Boy. So we were completely focused on
3:34
on on Little Boy. Then after Little Boy he he
3:37
said, well, I think we're ready to do Mother Cabrini.
3:40
And that's when I started doing Sound of Freedom eight years
3:43
ago. And then again, I was just
3:45
focused on the percent with Alejandro doing Sound of Freedom
3:48
for eight years and somehow was perfect.
3:50
You know the the time was perfect because we were training
3:54
with Bella, with Little boy, with Sound of Freedom, so we can
3:58
be ready for Mother Cabrini. And thanks to the success of
4:00
Sound of Freedom, Angel Studios now open the door for Mother
4:04
Cabrini. So we didn't have to wait years
4:06
like in Bella was five years and Little Boy was five years and
4:09
Sound of Freedom was eight years.
4:11
Mother Cabrini, we just finished the movie last year and I can't
4:14
believe that now we're in theaters, thanks to God, thanks
4:17
to Angel Studios and and of course, thanks to Eustis
4:20
Woffington because he's the one who, you know, through his
4:23
perseverance and he, he was just, you know, waiting for the
4:28
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4:30
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OK, so there's so much to talk about here, but Mother Cabrini
5:56
is the first American St. People are now learning her name
6:00
because there's this incredibly beautifully produced movie about
6:03
her hitting theaters across the country.
6:05
And there it's coming to, I know, Latin America very soon.
6:08
It's going to be worldwide. And how?
6:10
Why and how? Eustace, you mentioned Eustace
6:13
Wolfington, who I believe is one of the lead producers, and this
6:17
was kind of his part of his inspiration.
6:19
Why Mother Cabrini? What was it that fascinated him,
6:23
drew him in that wanted to say this is the the Saint I need to
6:26
make an epic film about. Well, he he was inspired by her
6:32
by her story from day one where he knew about her the patron of
6:37
the American immigrants and and he had a devotion to her and she
6:43
changed his life and she gave him what he needed at that time
6:47
when he was going through a lot And somehow she became this role
6:50
model for him. And now I understand why.
6:53
You know, in the mean I didn't know because I didn't know too
6:55
much about through. I mean we have thousands of
6:57
Catholic Saints that you know, I have devotion to Saint Joseph
7:01
and Saint Augustine and a few others of course in Francis of
7:03
Assisi. But there's thousands that we
7:05
don't that we don't even know that exists.
7:07
There are amazing heroes in our faith and there are our
7:10
brothers, brothers and sisters, our older brothers and sisters
7:13
in the faith. And when finally I got to know
7:17
more the career in details when Rob Barr wrote the script and
7:21
because now it was in a language that I that I you know that I
7:25
like to I read more scripts than than than than books about
7:30
Saints. You know even though I have read
7:32
a lot of a lot you know biographies of the Saints, still
7:36
there's thousands of an amazing stories that is.
7:38
I mean you will have to dedicate your entire life to study the
7:42
lives of Saints and you will only touch 1% maybe maybe less,
7:46
right. Thanks to God we have a we have
7:48
a lot of heroes in the faith and but mother Cabrini went, I said
7:52
my gosh where I was. This is amazing what an amazing
7:56
woman that she confront. You know she was.
8:00
I mean the whole world was against her.
8:01
Even members of the church didn't believe in in in her
8:04
mission and then corrupt politicians in in New York that
8:06
she met that were against her and organized crime and and even
8:11
her her own health she was fighting her own health and and
8:17
at a time where women didn't have any boys.
8:20
What an amazing role model of perseverance that's for me.
8:24
True womanhood, true feminism. When when women are in power, by
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God, anything they do, they turn to be a miracle because it's got
8:34
working through them. And and that's when I realized
8:38
this movie is perfect for this time.
8:40
You know, when so many people are confused and so many people
8:43
didn't even know what a woman is anymore, you know, well, you
8:47
come and see Cabrini and you will understand what a powerful
8:50
woman is. When when they recognize who
8:52
their creator is and when they put that into the center of
8:55
their lives, anything is possible for them.
8:58
And and that's my hope as a filmmaker, that when people come
9:02
and see this movie, especially parents, when they bring their
9:04
daughters that they will leave. Not only entertain, they will
9:07
leave, inspire wanting to be more like Cabrini and not like
9:11
Barbie. Exactly.
9:13
I That's what I loved about it, too, because you see her and it
9:16
was so historically accurate. They took so many scenes.
9:19
I know there was a lot of faithfulness to her life and
9:22
what happened, what she actually did in New York City.
9:25
She comes from Italy. She shows up with nothing.
9:28
She's going to serve the orphans.
9:30
She has nothing, you know, herself.
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And she's building this completely from scratch, you
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know, getting basically begging people for help.
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And whenever there's a wall that shows up to confront her to stop
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her, she just goes right through the wall.
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Unbelievable. You.
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Know the the other thing that I think is very important I don't
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know if you know you remember the story where Saint Francis
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you know he was he was with his brothers and then his brothers
9:55
tell St. I mean Saint Francis tell his
9:57
brothers let's go and let's go and evangelize the the the
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nearest town from us And they went to this town and and they
10:04
spent the entire day in the town and when they came back you know
10:07
the brothers were like Hermano Francisco.
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We thought we were going to evangelize and so we did.
10:13
No we we we never talk about that to anybody.
10:16
We did when we helped the the sick person when we helped the
10:19
older lady when we help you know all this works that's how we did
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it. You know and and if it's
10:24
necessary then use words. But sometimes you you show your
10:28
faith or your words and that's why Alejandro and and Eustace
10:32
and the whole team, we were like, we're like what are we
10:35
going to tell about Monica Britney?
10:37
Because it's it's a lot. I mean we can do ATV series of
10:41
100 episodes and it's not enough.
10:43
And we have only two hours and we thought, you know what let's
10:46
imitate what Saint Francis did. So let's show her faith through
10:50
her works and then we can hopefully touch the hearts of
10:56
people who believe in God and people who doesn't believe in
10:59
God or people who have another religions.
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They cannot ignore the works that she did in and and and she
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works the entire habit with the cross you know the side of her
11:08
chest. So it's obvious who inspired her
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to do what she was doing, right. And but I think that's more
11:14
effective in in in in our goal to entertain bring people closer
11:18
to God by imitating, imitating her in what she did.
11:23
Because art has the power to, you know, to influence how
11:27
people think for good, for bad, and and especially young people,
11:30
they have this tendency to imitate art.
11:32
Well, if that's true, our hope is that when they come and see
11:35
Cabrini, they will imitate her in in, in their, you know,
11:39
everyday life. That's why the movie for me and
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for Alejandro and the entire team begins when the film
11:44
finished. Because now you have every
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legacy of Mother Cabrinet in your own life.
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That's our hope. I love that.
11:50
Yeah. So this film has received rave
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reviews from many people like Rotten Tomatoes, all the critics
11:56
that people are just saying it's so beautifully done.
11:58
The cinematography, the acting, the screen writing, so tons of
12:02
positive commentary from lots of people.
12:04
There have been some critiques of the film from Catholics
12:08
actually, or some Christians saying, oh, you know, there were
12:11
some good themes in here and whatever, but oh, she it, it
12:14
made it seem too much that she was reliant on her own power.
12:18
We didn't get to see her spirituality.
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Now she was praying in the church at one point.
12:22
You certainly you know she's quotes scripture.
12:24
She's a nun. You know she's a sister.
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She's a religious. You see her habit.
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She's walking the streets of New York as a celibate religious you
12:31
know, as a mother Cabrini. But I can understand, you know,
12:34
these critics wanting to see oh we want to see her prayer more,
12:37
we want to see her spirituality. We want to see her talking about
12:39
Jesus. And I know it was a decision
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made by your, the team to say we want to show what people saw
12:46
externally to her, I mean these private moments she had with
12:51
God, of which there were so many.
12:52
She's all these journals. I've read her journals.
12:54
They're amazing. Her letters about her faith and
12:57
there's so much richness there. But we got to see her works like
13:00
you said. And her works were incredible
13:03
and they're inspiring and they show us true womanhood.
13:06
Tell me more about how the team sees this and and responds to
13:10
this criticism to focus on these extreme works.
13:13
We didn't make the feel for them.
13:16
You know, it's impossible to make a film for everybody, you
13:20
know, I mean because it's art. And if imagine if you, if, if
13:23
she were, if your mother Cabrini in the movie pray for rosaries
13:30
complete. Like like literally 40 minutes
13:32
of the movie is just spraying the rosary and then all the 40
13:35
minutes is just, you know, meditating after reading the
13:38
Bible. And then the last 20 minutes of
13:41
the field is she's working. They will still complain.
13:43
How can she didn't do a holy hour?
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You know they will complain. You never please they they
13:51
should be grateful that this movie but or not with that
13:54
quality that is out there in theaters in more than 3000
13:57
theaters, you know, and it's very easy to criticize.
14:00
But for all those who criticize it, why don't you make the movie
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and make, you know make the movie about the same train the
14:06
entire movie And then and I will go and see it But you know at
14:12
the end of the day for us was how can we reach people that are
14:16
not in the church. You know, why should I tell my
14:19
mother Come and see Karina so you can go to mass.
14:21
She's got a mass every day she's there.
14:23
Thanks be to God you know or come and seek a really so you
14:25
can know how to pray the rosary. To those who already pray in the
14:29
rosary day they're already there.
14:31
So I want to go and show the movie to other people that are
14:35
not that they don't they don't believe in the church for
14:39
whatever reasons or they left the church.
14:41
But who can criticize A nun who went through what she went
14:46
through and and it's obvious that she got the strength from
14:50
heaven, from God. I mean she quotes the Bible.
14:54
She mentioned the word God more than 12 times when she's in the
14:58
Chapel. Catholics, we understand when
15:00
it's a Kindle is the presence of Jesus Christ in the Tabernacle.
15:03
She spent the entire night there.
15:04
What is she going to do? She's going to be praying in
15:07
movie. There's a rule that is that that
15:09
that says show, don't tell, show, don't tell.
15:12
It's this is not a documentary. It's art.
15:14
You know when when you see a painting of Michelangelo, you
15:19
know with one image you can see the entire gospel, you know,
15:24
with one image. Same thing here.
15:26
You see a movie that lasts 2 hours and you see a lot of
15:29
symbolism that tells you who she is why she's doing what she's
15:34
doing and and and for us that was that was that was enough,
15:39
you know to show her freight through the works that she did
15:42
for others not to herself. You know and and to show this
15:48
feminist movement that is around the world that for me that every
15:51
day touch it's destroyed. That true feminism is and true
15:56
empowerment is when a woman recognize who God is and God is
16:00
the center of their lives. Then that's Mother Cabrini and
16:03
that's the that's what you're doing and that's what you know
16:06
many godly women are doing today.
16:09
And and it's, it's good to like to compare, you know who
16:14
represents those women in Mexico right now burning the posters of
16:18
Cabrini. She doesn't represent.
16:21
She doesn't represent us burning.
16:23
The She doesn't represent us. Yeah, don't go and see this.
16:26
Well, of course she doesn't represent you, unfortunately and
16:29
but, but she represents the majority of the Mexican women
16:33
you know. And so it's this controversy of
16:36
of I don't care too much about the the the the critics on on
16:41
Catholics because the critics is like, oh I wish I could see her
16:44
praying more. I'm worried about these women
16:48
burning posters of Cabrini screaming she doesn't represent
16:52
us And that's like wow how sad it is.
16:55
It breaks my heart, you know like she doesn't represent you.
16:58
I mean in what part she doesn't represent you Look what she did
17:01
she was amazing. What an amazing woman And, and
17:04
even and we tried to do the movie more for like them so they
17:07
can hopefully recognize, you know, I thought there's
17:11
impossible for a feminist movement to criticize Carini,
17:16
right? Well, even even with the, even
17:20
with this choice that we made to tell the story through her
17:24
words, there's people saying she doesn't represent us.
17:28
So wow, that's sad, you know? I mean, if you break it down,
17:31
she's a celibate, right? So the message to today's women,
17:34
right, is that our sexuality is something that we totally
17:37
control and we can use as we please, and there's no limits or
17:41
morality except for consent. And so you have this, you know,
17:44
she is modest beyond belief. Obviously.
17:46
She's wearing her habit and she is celibate.
17:49
She's chosen celibacy so she can be wholly devoted to what?
17:53
Helping other people soul, especially children.
17:56
And I I love that pro-life theme throughout the film because you
18:00
know, today the child feminism, today modern feminism rejects
18:04
the child, right. We abort the child.
18:06
I mean, in America alone, a million abortions every year.
18:08
I know how passionate you are about this to Eduardo.
18:10
We we share this and mother Cabrini literally goes to New
18:14
York for the children. She's going there to rescue
18:17
children. She there's a scene, she goes
18:19
into the gutter, into the sewer system because little children
18:23
are orphaned and sleep underground to be have some kind
18:25
of warmth. And there's a scene where one
18:27
child dies from exposure underground and she's trying to
18:31
rescue them. So it's a radical
18:33
countercultural message. Celibate religious woman in the
18:38
name of God going to rescue children and mother them when
18:42
the modern feminist woman is encouraged to reject children.
18:46
Completely the opposite. You know, it's the worst upside
18:49
down. That's why.
18:51
You know, this is an amazing opportunity for US men to honor
18:55
the most beautiful creation by God, which is women.
18:58
But women are beautiful when women recognize who God is.
19:02
And that applies for men too. But we're talking about women
19:04
now and and when God is the center of their lives, they
19:08
changed the world. The most powerful woman on earth
19:10
Mother Mary. She said yes to God and then the
19:14
rest is is history. Well, same thing we can We all
19:17
can. We're children of God.
19:18
We're all created in the mission of likeness of God.
19:20
And when we recognize who we are and we allow God to be the
19:24
center of their lives. Beautiful things happen like in
19:27
Mother Cabrini and and that's why, you know, I'm, I'm begging
19:31
every parents to bring their wives.
19:33
There's, I mean men to bring their wives, to bring their
19:37
daughters, their mothers, their, you know, cousins, their
19:41
grandmothers. And it's with other women, but
19:47
women, you know what I'm saying? You know, in a time where people
19:51
doesn't even know what women is, it's it's unbelievable.
19:54
And so if you know what a woman is, come and seek everything you
19:56
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19:58
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I think letting yourself watch it because when I watched it, I
20:55
cried, I was inspired, I was moved and then yes, I was like,
21:00
I want to see her pray more. I want to see all these things
21:02
about her life. But you have two hours like you
21:04
said and you know and as you said you know the work and the
21:08
love that's been put into the film is obvious.
21:11
It's an incredibly made film. It's it's Oscar worthy, Even the
21:15
critics are saying. And what can we do if we want
21:18
more art like this in the world? We enjoy it.
21:21
We celebrate it. We share it because we're seeing
21:25
this countercultural radical representation of true womanhood
21:29
as John Paul the Second has called it Saint John Paul the
21:31
Second, Pope John Paul the Second has called this term the
21:34
feminine genius to describe how women can uniquely offer love
21:38
and nurture and receptivity to the world.
21:41
So will I understand the critics and and I share like the desire,
21:44
like I want more of it, right. I want more about the Cabrini's
21:47
heart and soul. We've got this.
21:49
What we've got is beautiful. You know, it's it's beautiful.
21:52
And so let we have and do Part 2 you.
21:55
Know Yeah. I think what I handle this is
21:57
amazing. You know this is an amazing
21:59
filmmaker. The way how the the lighting the
22:03
the the scenes the acting of all the the cast was unbelievable.
22:07
The music, I mean to have Andrea Bocelli singing a song at the
22:10
end with his daughter for the credit song, it's it's it's very
22:14
powerful. And and again, for us, we choose
22:17
to show the worst, the worst, you know, because we live in a
22:22
time where, you know, even Catholics were being criticized
22:27
by nothing. Catholics that we don't care
22:28
about the poor, that we don't care even for lifers, You know,
22:32
they were being accused that. Yeah, you guys.
22:34
For life. Yeah, right.
22:35
You just care about the baby, the wound.
22:36
But then when the baby's born, you don't care.
22:39
What? I mean, we don't care.
22:40
We we care from A-Z. So showing Mono Cabrini caring
22:45
for those who are living literally in conditions that are
22:49
inhumane, where the rats are living in better conditions than
22:53
than the Italian immigrants living in New York at the time
22:57
to. So to show that, how can you
22:59
criticize that? I'm talking about from the other
23:02
side, right Who? Who thinks that we don't care
23:04
about the poor? Well, here you have an amazing
23:06
St. who not only came here to the United States legally
23:11
immersing the culture with her broken English told her nuns We
23:16
speak English now we're in America.
23:18
She became American and then she became the first American Canon.
23:22
I sing. I mean what an amazing
23:24
contribution she gave to America and to the world and and that's
23:28
what was important if you will focus too much in her faith.
23:31
Meaning like, you know, she prays she got a mass, she's in
23:34
the holy Hour and everything. Then we're making a movie for
23:37
Catholics only to like do this to ourselves.
23:39
I want to reach those who are not going to church.
23:42
And I how you do it to art and to works that are hard to be
23:48
against what she did. And if you fall in love with
23:51
her, that's the first step. The second step is like, where
23:55
did she pull all her strength? Well, God.
23:57
And then you study more. And then when you study more
24:00
than you're going to see who she, who she is completely, you
24:03
know, but you have two hours, remember?
24:05
It's like making a move about you in two hours.
24:08
It's it's it's difficult what do you tell you know, well before
24:12
she got married, when she's married, when she when she went
24:15
to the you know, abortion clinics, you know, you know
24:18
undercover. It's impossible to do everything
24:22
in two hours. So you have to left a lot of
24:23
things behind and then and and and unfortunately that's movie
24:28
that's what movie is. You know, you have two hours of
24:31
80 years of 60 years or 50 years of of someone.
24:34
It's it's almost very unfair because there's a lot of things
24:37
that we want to tell that it was impossible.
24:40
It was like we need ATV series, 100 episodes, maybe one day, you
24:43
know? Yes, I mean the only other film
24:46
I can think of about a St. that is this.
24:48
The level of quality and beauty and inspiration and
24:51
faithfulness. Is Saint Thomas More a man for
24:54
all seasons? But you know, I don't know what
24:56
other film we had. That was in the 40s.
24:59
Can you? Imagine, yeah, it was like
25:00
almost 100, you know, not 100, but, you know, 80 years ago.
25:03
So this is like this is a new renaissance.
25:06
I mean, your team, Eduardo, I know Metanoia films.
25:09
I know what Alejandro has done. The the director, you know, Leo
25:15
Severino, Alejandro Monteverde, like your team.
25:18
What you guys are doing is revolutionary for the arts
25:21
because you're bringing the true faith and you're making it not
25:26
just accessible to millions of people, but you're doing it in a
25:29
way that is with with complete excellence.
25:32
And so I just want to commend you for that because I know it
25:35
takes a tremendous amount of work and a ton of money, you
25:38
know, a big investment to to do this.
25:41
But your guide you, I mean this is your best film yet.
25:44
It is your best. Film.
25:45
Thank you. Thank you so much.
25:46
And then you please go and see it and bring your family.
25:49
This one will change your life. And if you wanna pray more,
25:54
well, I invite you to pray with me.
25:56
I put everyday life, you know, one more pray with the film
26:00
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for your little 11. More question for you Eduardo,
26:43
what was your favorite part of the movie?
26:45
What was your favorite part of Cabrini?
26:47
Well, that's hard because, you know, it's so many.
26:51
Every single time that I see it, there's a it's almost like when
26:55
the Bible, when you open the Bible and then there's one verse
26:58
that talked to you in that moment, but the next day
26:59
something else. And it's hard I mean to find a
27:03
you know you know I I think the end is powerful just because of
27:07
what we're going through right now with where people doesn't
27:11
even know what a woman is. So when when the mayor tell her
27:14
you know you will make a good a great man mother Cabrini and and
27:18
she also like there is things that women can do that men
27:22
can't. You know I think that's because
27:25
we live in a play in an era where there's a lot of
27:27
competition. But we shouldn't compete.
27:29
We should be. We should compliment.
27:31
I think together we're stronger. I don't, you know, women doesn't
27:36
have to be a man. Man doesn't have to be a woman.
27:38
I think man is a man. Woman is a woman.
27:40
And together we're stronger and we complement and we help.
27:42
We should help each other. And together we can form
27:45
families we can dream big we can change the world together.
27:48
And and I think it's very important that this is not a
27:51
competition and a multiple means somehow answer that there's
27:55
things that women can do that men can't and there's things
27:58
that men can do that women can't.
28:00
But together we can do great things for God, you know.
28:04
But I think the other thing is like that she didn't give up.
28:07
It's very we live in a in times where the other day I was
28:12
talking to a friend of mine and and he was saying that his
28:15
daughter, you know, she was depressed and it's why?
28:18
Because she doesn't have enough followers on Instagram.
28:21
It's Oh my gosh. Are you kidding me?
28:23
No, no, really. And and the name when she posts
28:25
something and she, she doesn't have enough likes.
28:27
She's depressed. She doesn't want to eat them.
28:29
Well, bring her to see Cabrini because this woman went through
28:33
a lot and she never gave up. So we live in a very fragile.
28:38
This generation is very fragile. They they literally, they want
28:41
to throw themselves from out of the window just because the
28:45
boyfriend didn't call her or something.
28:47
I mean, it's very fragile and I I like to see a woman that's
28:50
strongly Mother Cabrini that she never gave up, but she fought
28:54
until the end and she was like brave and and and and and we
28:59
need more men and women like that, fighters, fighters of
29:02
freedom, you know it. Was so good as her, her strong,
29:05
'cause we hear the strong woman thing a lot, you know, in
29:08
Hollywood or in media and politics, like she's such a
29:11
strong woman. But her strength was not about
29:13
herself, discovery. It wasn't about her own, you
29:17
know, pursuits and accomplishments.
29:19
Her strength was about loving other people.
29:21
And that's what the that's true strength actually the essential
29:24
that is not that it is actually weakness.
29:28
And I think that is, that is the message we need to hear because
29:32
like you said so much of the younger generation today, I mean
29:34
all of us, we struggle with self obsession, right.
29:37
It's all about us and social media and how we appear and how
29:41
people think of us and what we can do and what are you know,
29:44
convenience level is our comfort levels.
29:46
But if we instead Orient our life in terms of what is God's
29:49
plan for my life? That's for me, strength.
29:54
That's for me what strength is. You know, when I, when I, when I
29:57
talk about strong men or strong women is a godly women, a godly
30:01
men. You know when, when they know
30:03
what the purpose of their life is, When they know that they
30:05
have to be willing to die to themselves.
30:07
Ego, vanity, pride. So God can be the center.
30:10
Jesus Christ can be the center of their lives, our lives.
30:12
And then that's how we can do anything, anything, size the
30:15
limit. That's the true dream, you know,
30:18
and that's why we're here for, you know, no one to love, to
30:20
serve God, to become Saints like Mora Cabrini.
30:23
She's a St. And so I'm well called to be, to
30:27
become Saints like her. And that's only possible by the
30:30
grace of God, of course, by having him in the center of our
30:33
lives. And of course, if I'm speaking
30:36
to a Catholic audience, well then through a Sacramento life,
30:39
finding the rosary, read the, you know, read the Bible every
30:41
day, serve others, you know, fast parents, all that.
30:46
That's a language that even even Catholics, that they don't
30:49
understand that language anymore.
30:51
Can you imagine the whole world outside of the Catholic Church?
30:54
So that's why. Part 2, Eduardo, Part 2 of
30:57
Cabrini can get can get more into that.
31:00
You know the the sequel. There's so much more to her
31:02
life, obviously, even beyond what you were you can show in
31:05
two hours. But I you know one other thing,
31:07
Angel Studios, it's a huge deal that they picked up this film
31:10
and they're distributing it. I mean this film is more than
31:12
worthy of it. It's the most, it's so
31:14
beautifully produced. It's an amazing film, but it's
31:17
so interesting because you know this is very Catholic.
31:20
It's about a Catholic St. She's a religious sister.
31:24
It's her story and it's amazing to me that it's it's done in
31:29
such an ecumenical way and that people from all faith traditions
31:32
and then no faith tradition are able to watch it.
31:36
And now, you know Angel Studios, not a Catholic Studios, is
31:38
distributing it. How did that all happen?
31:40
Precisely because of how we did the movie.
31:42
Again, if you did the movie, would it be all about like 2
31:45
hours of she's sitting in front of this flesh sacrament?
31:49
But then then then that would never happen.
31:53
But because what she did in the movie and the parts that we
31:57
choose to tell is universal, no one can be against someone that
32:01
is helping the poor, regardless of who she was, who she is,
32:05
right? And so that's why I think they
32:08
understand that the need of telling these kind of stories to
32:11
the world it's been, it's very it benefits the world, you know.
32:16
And so the movie doesn't feel like you know she is right there
32:21
evangelizing meaning like you have to convert.
32:24
You have to believe in what I believe.
32:25
Otherwise you're going to go to hell And that that's this is not
32:28
about that you know or you know only people who believe in this
32:31
or this is this is not a theology.
32:34
This is not a movie about theology or apologetics or or
32:38
this is just a movie about a woman who loved that so much,
32:43
who gave her life to him and because of that she's inspired
32:46
to help the ones who are emotionate simple.
32:51
It has to be simple and the movie is simplicity all the way
32:55
with beautiful art and anyone you know can see that and and
33:03
Angel Studios saw that. I said guys this film I mean
33:07
where they cry I don't know how many times the whole team of
33:10
Angel studios and and they they love the movie and and when I
33:13
heard that that's when I I thought we are bingo.
33:18
We did it. You know we did it because
33:20
that's the goal. You want to make films.
33:23
Well, at least us. We make films for everyone.
33:26
We don't make films for only who?
33:28
People who think like us, you know, For that, I invite people
33:32
to play the roster with me on Facebook, you know, for that, I
33:34
invite friends to come with me to my Bible study in Mexico.
33:39
But for movies, I want to reach more people, you know, I want to
33:42
reach those who are not being rich.
33:46
Eduardo, what's next for you? And also for Angel Studios.
33:50
Well, for us and in your studios, I think we're going to
33:54
do together, Mary, Mother of God, the massacre of the
33:56
innocents. I think this will be July.
33:58
God willing. We're filmed.
34:00
Is it already? Produced.
34:01
It's already filmed. No, we we will not.
34:03
We are going to film in July and that movie will come out next
34:06
year in Christmas 2025, God willing.
34:09
But that's the one that we as soon as I finish my tour in
34:13
Latin America with Cabrini, we're going to start
34:16
reproduction on Mary and then later few other things.
34:21
But right now, we're one of the time.
34:23
Let's make sure that Cabrini has been seen by the whole world.
34:26
And then after that, Mary. I I am more than I can't even
34:30
tell you how excited I am for a movie about Mary.
34:33
I am in love with Cabrini, but our mother to do a movie about
34:37
the mother of Jesus. It deserves to be done.
34:40
It needs to be done. So super excited to hear that.
34:42
And thank you, Eduardo. Good luck on your travels.
34:44
God bless you. God bless you.
34:47
After Mexico, I think next for the premiere.
34:50
Mexico's next, March 20th. That's the premiere.
34:54
It's coming out on March 21st or Latin America.
34:57
We'll do a little tour worldwide and then and that's it.
35:01
You know next, next and next and next.
35:03
You know, never. We can never stop.
35:05
Life's too short, you know, just like you.
35:07
You never stop. You're always working.
35:09
And thank you for that too. You know, together we're
35:11
stronger. Thank you for your support and
35:13
you know, come with your family to Malta when we are while we
35:17
were feeling married, I think you, you, you love it.
35:20
I'd love that We'll. Give you more.
35:22
Information. I'll message you about that.
35:24
Let's do it. Thank you so much, Eduardo.
35:27
Congratulations you. Thank you St.
35:30
St. Francesca, Javier Cabrini, pray
35:33
for us. Pray for us.
35:34
Amen. God bless you.
35:36
Thank you. God bless you.
35:37
Thank you. Thank you so much for listening
35:39
to this episode of the Lila Riz podcast.
35:42
It was a delight as always to talk to Eduardo, and I'm super
35:44
pumped for Cabrini and the impact that it is making in the
35:47
world. I'm also really excited and
35:50
thrilled for this movie about Mary.
35:52
The mother of God almost makes me cry just to talk about it
35:55
because I've seen her depicted Mary, who's my role model, seen
35:58
her depicted in art, and I've seen her depicted in music and
36:02
I've seen her depicted obviously in Holy Scripture.
36:04
And these depictions are beautiful.
36:06
But we haven't had a movie about Mary in my lifetime, and
36:10
certainly that I've ever seen before my lifetime when movies
36:13
were just started to be made. That actually does any kind of
36:15
justice to marry the mother of God in my opinion.
36:18
And I couldn't think of a better team than Eduardo that they can
36:21
give it a true shot at doing this right?
36:24
So please pray, pray for Metanoia Films.
36:26
Eduardo Film Company Pray for the people involved in creating
36:31
this project about the Mother of God and pray that it can reach
36:35
millions of souls with the incredible story about how Jesus
36:40
Christ was born. Don't forget, as always, to
36:42
subscribe to the podcast if you haven't already.
36:44
Thanks so much for listening and we'll see you guys next time.