Film “100 Hearts”

The dream of having this film was born in the heart of each of Mother Clelia’s daughters. They desired to know the face of this great woman, capable of responding to the challenges in today’s world!

The dream of having this film was born in the heart of each of Mother Clelia’s daughters. They desired to know the face of this great woman, capable of responding to the challenges in today’s world! “100 Hearts” is a movie which portrays the last thirty years of the life of Blessed Clelia Merloni (1861-1930). It was produced between 2020 and 2023 and was premiered in some of the countries in which in which the Apostles were present in 2023. The film, which lasts about two hours, is an Italian production produced by Fogo Multimedia snc, based in Turin. The film interweaves the story of Mother Clelia with a modern narrative centered on the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus school in Rome. The two stories unfold in parallel and are interpreted by the same cast of actors, to signify that, despite external differences in a constantly evolving world, people have the same fragilities, questions and values that transcend the centuries. The part of the film dedicated to Mother Clelia emphasizes the difficulties which she had to face in situations which followed one after the other. She lived through them with integrity and courage, always under the banner of forgiveness, humility and the defense of truth without mediation. Three values represent the pillars on which her entire existence was based.

The modern-day story which alternates with the real story of the Foundress is a fictional but realistic narrative, marked by suspense-filled encounters with the police, hoping to surprise the spectator as the story unfolds. The two narratives, which take place in diverse contexts and time periods, surprisingly become interwoven in a plot that transcends the dimensions of space and time and demonstrates the universality of the evangelical example of Mother Clelia. Written and directed by Paolo Damosso, “100 Hearts” is not only a biographical account, but also a work which seeks to inspire people of all ages to follow in the footsteps of Mother Clelia. In this film, she shows that her legacy and teachings remain current, especially in a world that has an ever-growing need for hope and redemption. Paolo Damosso began the project in collaboration with the Apostles in 2019. He underscores the fact that representing the life of Blessed Clelia authentically and deeply was a great challenge. According to him, the sustaining pillars of Mother Clelia’s life: forgivenss, humility and truth, are presented in Truth – with a capital T – rooted in the values which she lived and taught. This film hopes to inspire persons of all ages to follow Mother Clelia’s footsteps, The Superior General, Mother Miriam Cunha Sobrinha, expressed it thus: the film was born of the deep desire of every daughter of Mother Clelia to make the example of this great woman, who continues to offer answers to the challenges of our world today.

The production has been dubbed into Portuguese, English and Spanish, allowing people around the world to experience and be moved by this journey of faith, love and perseverance.

Cast:

– Silvia Budri: Mother Clelia / Prof Giulia De Magistris
– Beatrice Fazi: Mother Marcellina Viganò / Prof. Sandra Proietti
– Alessandra Costanzo: Sister Giuseppina d’Ingenheim / Sister Gemma
– Massimo Bonetti: Mons. Scalabrini / President of the school
– Claudio Botosso: Fr. Luigi Gelmini / Prof. Carlo Tomei
– Daniela Scarlatti: Sister Redenta / Prof Paola Rinaldi
– Giancarlo Ratti: Fr. Gaetano Masotti / Prof Andrea Paolucci
– Cristina Odasso: Sister Irene Viganò / Prof Silvia Benedetti
– Manuela Bisanti: Maria Bambina Viganò / Mother of a child
– Marco Marelli: Don Giuseppe Di Gennaro / Prof Antonio Russo
– Pamela Villoresi: Sister Elisa / Prof. Ada Mancini
– Remo Girone: Gioacchino Merloni / Gino De Magistris
– Victoria Zinny: Bianchina / Doorkeeper

Director:

Paolo Damosso, born in Turin in 1964, has worked as an author and director of televion programs for more than 30 years. He has written and directed more that 70 works, including documentaries, fictional documentaries and films. Among his most popular films are: A Man Lent to the World; Padre Pio. A Man of God; The Little Flowers of St. Francis; A Beautiful Service; The Lesson is Over; My Francis; An Illustrious Well-Known Person. Card. Guglielmo Massaja; I’m not a Knight. St. Leonardo Murialdo. As a writer he has published biographical novels: An Infinite Horizon (2008); One Every five-hundred Years (2009); And instead, She Smiles (2011); Adele. The Story and the Life (2016) and the novel The Choice (2013).

Technical team:

– General Organization: Cristina Trio
– Ottimizzazione: Marco Zolea
– Photo Coverage: Lucas Angstmam
– Director of Photography: Alessandro Mattiolo
– Sound: Marco Montano
– Set Design: Isabella Bruschi
– Costumes: Sara Giovene
– Makeup: Anna Filosa
– Original Music: Enrico Sabena
– Installation: Antonio Venere e Antonella Taggiasco