The 2024 film “Conclave,” directed by German director and screenwriter Edward Berger, will be on screen at Andeischer Cultural Center in Tehran on Tuesday evening.
After the screening, a presence and review session of film critics Hamidreza Ranzibarzadeh and Mohsen Soleimani Fahhh will be held.
“Conclave” is a political thriller film, based on a 2016 Robert Harris novel and features a great cast including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. The story unfolds in the aftermath of the Pope’s untimely death as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) coordinates the Conclave to select his successor, discovering the dark secrets and scandals surrounding the major candidates.
Four major candidates will appear. Progressive Aldo Bellini from the United States. Joshua Adeemi, a social conservative in Nigeria. Joseph Tremble, a mainstream conservative in Canada. Gofredo Tedesco, an Italian traditionalist. Tensions vehemently denies Tremblay when Archbishop Janus Wozniak reveals that the late Pope had sought Tremblay’s resignation before his death. Meanwhile, Bellini is trying to stop Tedesco’s ambitions at any cost.
As the Conclave begins, Lawrence encourages contemplation and uncertainty, misunderstanding it as a sign of his own Pope’s desire. The first round of votes fails to produce a two-thirds majority, and Adeyemi is struggling with the politics of the church. Lawrence’s assistant, Monsignor Raymond O’Malley, discovered that the late Pope had arranged for the directional Vincent Benitez to travel to a medical appointment.
Conflict and revelation unfold as Adeyemi faces accusations related to his past with his sister Shanumi, a Nigerian nun. These whispers compromised his candidacy and led Bellini to reluctantly support Trembre. As Lawrence digs deeper, he uncovers nasty evidence of vote tampering organized by Tremblay and raises interests.
Tensions grow even further on the third day of the vote as the explosion destroys the Conclave. Amidst the chaos, the candidate is tackling the ongoing suicide bombing in Europe. Tedesco’s inflammatory rhetoric calls for violence, but Benitez defends peace. Ultimately, in a surprising event, Benitez is elected Pope and adopts the name “Innocent.” But a revelation about his true identity – born of confused biological properties – he propels Lawrence on his journey of reflection as he tackles the complex web of church politics he has navigated.
Edward Berger has been praised for films such as Jack (2014), All My Loving (2019), and All Siet on the Western Front (2022). Berger also directed notable television series such as Deutschland 83 (2015) and Patrick Melrose (2018).
For “All Sieting On the Western Front,” he won an Academy Award for Best International Film and was nominated for Best Adapted script, along with three BAFTA awards. His work on “Conclave” earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director.
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