The United Nations building in Geneva was today the prestigious setting for the Swiss premiere screening of the film 'Cabrini', centred on the figure of Mother Frances Cabrini, foundress of the religious congregation 'Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus'. The event, jointly organised by the Permanent Representation of Italy in Geneva and the Permanent Observer of the Holy See, and with the support of the United Nations Office in Geneva and the High Commissioner for Refugees, was attended by the leading actress, Cristiana Dell'Anna, who has won awards for her masterful portrayal of Mother Cabrini at various festivals, including the IFFA Awards 2024, the Septimius Awards in Amsterdam and the Denver Film Festival in Colorado.
Paladin of assistance to Italian migrants in the United States at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Mother Cabrini was proclaimed a Saint by the Catholic Church in 1946 and Patroness of Emigrants in 1950, and is still today an example of faith and modernity, an inspiration in her commitment to the most vulnerable and in her feminine determination to defy prejudice and convention for the affirmation of noble ideals. No American before Mother Cabrini had been sanctified.
In the presence of a large, qualified and enthusiastic audience, the screening was also preceded by a short debate on the themes dealt with in the work by director Alejandro Monteverde. Protagonists of the discussion, together with the Italian actress, were the Director General of the UN Office in Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See, Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, the Permanent Representatives of the USA, Ambassador Michelle Taylor, Italy, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, and Sister Liz Todd, of the congregation 'Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus'. Qualified participants included all the main United Nations Organisations and Agencies, in particular the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees. The event,' underlined a communiqué from the Italian Representation to the United Nations, 'provided an opportunity for a dialogue on topical issues for Geneva's multilateralism, such as the role of women in the public sphere, assistance to the most vulnerable segments of the population (refugees, migrants and minors), and the centrality of health and education for social redemption. "Cabrini put her values into practice instead of just preaching," said Cristiana Dell'Anna. She fought for her vision of a 'just world' and for the dignity of all human beings as a fundamental right. Cabrini's example, she added, is an invitation not to back down in the face of adversity, because it is in those moments "that our courage, convictions and values are needed more than ever to fight for justice".
In the communiqué, the Italian Representation emphasises how the United Nations Charter and the Constitution of the Italian Republic reflect the humanist vision embodied in the work of Saint Francesca Cabrini: "the irrepressible yearning to build an empire of hope calls on contemporary consciences not to abandon the reasons for dialogue and justice".
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