Frank Mannion seeks out God at an excellent 80th edition of the festival.
The Catholic Church has long played a leading role at the Venice Film Festival. Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ, the papal travelogue In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis and Abel Ferrara’s Padre Pio all premiered on the Lido, as did the clerical abuse drama Spotlight, winner of the best picture Oscar 2016. At this year’s edition, Catholicism was often reduced to a cameo in a rich ensemble of world cinema.
