Papacy (Documentaries)

Directed by Carol Reed.
138 minutes; released 1965.
Pope Julius II and the artist Michelangelo disagree with each other about the painting of the Sistine Chapel. Based on the novel by Irving Stone. Starring Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison.

Produced by C21C.
60 minutes; released 1995.
This programme lets you join Pope John Paul II as he celebrates The Holy Mass in such diverse countries as Argentina, Canada, Spain, Poland, Australia, the Philippines and St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican.

Produced by EWTN Home Video.
180-minute parts; released 2008.
Complete coverage of the 2008 apostolic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States including the speeches he gave in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Produced by EWTN Home Video.
90 minutes; released 2006.
Father Thomas Norris reflects on the contemporary relevance of "Encyclical on the New Millennium", an apostolic letter delivered by John Paul the Great at the close of the Great Jubilee in 2000.

Produced by Vatican Television Center.
60 minutes; released 2006.
A documentary about the Second Vatican Council which took place between 1962 and 1965 and marked a break with the Catholic Church's past, both on a liturgical and a canonical level.

Directed by Stephen E. Maas.
480 minutes; released 2004.
Author and host Christopher West uses Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body for an eight-part discussion on marriage and sexuality as God meant them to be experienced, while also addressing more general questions of importance on human origins, the meaning of life, gender, and the existence of evil.

Produced by EWTN Home Video.
120 minutes; released 2005.
EWTN news anchor Raymond Arroyo and Father Richard John Neuhaus guide viewers through the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI on 19 April 2005.

Directed by David Naglieri.
55 minutes; released 2008.
An examination of the response of Pope Pius XII to the Nazi extermination of Jews during World War II.

Directed by John Bredar.
90 minutes; released 2002.
A documentary about Vatican City narrated by Martin Sheen.

Directed by Michael Anderson.
95 minutes; released 1988.
A movie adaptation of a play by Pope John Paul II about love and family. Starring Burt Lancaster.

Produced by the Vatican Television Center.
100 minutes; released 2004.
Two documentaries on Pope John Paul II.

Produced by the Vatican Television Center.
60 minutes; released 2006.
A four-part documentary which traces Pope John Paul II's journey through the seasons of his life.

Directed by Helen Whitney.
150 minutes; released 1999.
A PBS Frontline documentary about Pope John Paul II.

Produced by the Vatican Television Center.
350 minutes; released 2006.
A chronological presentation of the life of Pope John Paul II.

Produced by the Vatican Television Center.
75 minutes; released 2006.
An intimate and meditative portrait in which Pope John Paul II relates the most significant events of his life, touching upon some of the most important events of modern times.

Produced by Saint Josemaria Escriva Institute.
124 minutes; released 2004.
Go inside the Vatican walls in this video that highlights 25 years of meetings between John Paul II and university students. Watch never before seen footage of John Paul II as he laughs and jokes with students from around the world and challenges them to live up to the full demands of the Gospel. John Paul II's humor, affection for young people, and ability to relate to today's youth has never been so candidly captured.

Produced by Rome Reports.
60 minutes; released 2005.
A documentary about Pope John Paul II divided into five chapters: Poland's Native Son, Called from a Far-Away Country, Forging New Paths, Papal Firsts, and Karol Wojtyla's Agony.

Directed by Giacomo Battiato.
375 minutes; released 2006.
A CBC dramatization of the life of Pope John Paul II (born Karol Wojtyla). The film begins in 1930s Poland, where Karol's artistic aspirations are halted by the Nazi invasion. He forms a politically-committed underground threatre and during the occupation decides to enter the priesthood. His compassion leads Karol to take a strong and dangerous stance against the tyranny of Communism, which he helped to bring down in his homeland, and throughout his life he would take up the cause of the oppressed. His faith and courage finally lead him to Rome and the Papacy.

Directed by Terence McKenna.
180 minutes; released 2003.
A three-part documentary about Pope John Paul II.

Produced by NBC News.
77 minutes; released 2004.
Reported by NBC News' Keith Morrison - this documentary uses archival footage, interviews with childhood friends and Vatican insiders, to trace Pope John Paul II's career from his beginnings in Poland to his Papal missions around the globe as a champion of human rights.

Produced by Salt + Light Television Productions.
26 minutes; released 2004.
Reflections on the messages the Holy Father has given to the youth of the world through World Youth Days.

Directed by David Eisenbise.
75 minutes; released 2003.
Best-selling Catholic author Stephen Ray takes the viewer to Galilee, Jerusalem, and Rome in his study of St. Peter the Apostle. He answers questions about the infallibility of the Pope, papal succession, and the truth of Catholic teaching. Part of The Footprints of God series.

Directed by Javier Martinez-Brocal.
56 minutes; released 2008.
The first in-depth biographical documentary film on the life of Pope Benedict XVI, from his childhood in Bavaria, Germany to his papacy as the Vicar of Christ.

Produced by Eternal Word Television Network.
30-minute episodes; released 2003.
Patrick Madrid explores the many myths and misconceptions Catholics and non-Catholics have regarding the papacy.

Directed by John Kent Harrison.
180 minutes; released 2005.
A dramatization of the life of Pope John Paul II. Starring Jon Voight and Cary Elwes.

Produced by the St. Clair Entertainment Group, Inc.
120 minutes; released 2005.
A feature-length documentary on the life of Pope John Paul II.

Produced by HBO Video.
104 minutes; released 2004.
Contains Do Not Be Afraid - The Life and Teachings of Pope John Paul II, and Do This in Memory of Me - The Easter and Christmas Liturgies Celebrated by Pope John Paul II. HBO Video.

Produced by BBC Video.
57 minutes; released 2005.
This BBC tribute looks at the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II.

Produced by ABC News in association with the Arts & Entertainment Television Networks.
50 minutes; released 2002.
A&E documentary celebrating the life and faith of Pope John Paul II.

Produced by Quality Special Products.
83 minutes; released 2003.
Examines the belief and influence of Pope John Paul II.

Produced by the Eternal Word Television Network.
30-minute programs; released 2004.
Sister Margherita Marchione and Ronald Rychlak explore the life, work, and teachings of Pope Pius XII.

Produced by Hip-o Records.
60 minutes; released 2007.
Footage of John Paul II is set to a soundtrack of traditional and contemporary music.

Directed by Michael Anderson.
162 minutes; released 1968.
A feature-length movie about a fictional Russian pope who attempts to avert a conflict between Communist Russia and Communist China by declaring that the Church's wealth should alleviate the world's starving people and challenges other institutions to do the same.

Produced by Vision Video.
50 minutes; released 1997.
An exclusive visit behind the walls of the Vatican records the history, traditions, and daily life of the smallest army in the world, the Swiss Guard, whose duty is to defend the pope.

Produced by the Eternal Word Television Network.
180 minutes; released 2005.
This documentary guides viewers through the funeral Mass of Pope John Paul II.

Produced by Eternal Word Television Network.
180 minutes; released 2005.
EWTN news anchor Raymond Arroyo and Father Richard John Newhaus guide viewers through the Inaugural Mass of Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005.

Directed by Paweł Pitera.
90 minutes; released 2007.
A documentary about Pope John Paul II based on the biography by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz. Narrated by Michael York.

Produced by the Vatican Television Center.
60 minutes; released 2005.
A documentary about the dramatic events of 2005: the worsening of Pope John Paul II's illness, his last days, the funeral mass, and the the conclave which elected Pope Benedict SVI.

Directed by George Torok.
324 minutes; released 1988.
A retrospective look at the Second Vatican Council and its impact on matters of liturgy and doctrine.

Produced by A & E Home Video.
100 minutes; released 1999.
A comprehensive history of the origins of the Vatican - from the Roman "Old St. Peter's" to the papacy's temporary move to Avignon to today's tourist mecca - through interviews with historians, reconstructions of crucial events, and on-site artifacts.

Directed by Judith Dwan Hallet.
116 minutes; released 2005.
A documentary about the life of Pope John Paul II based on the biography by George Weigel.

Produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
93 minutes; released 2002.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documents Pope John Paul II's visit to Canada for World Youth Day, July 18-28, 2002.