Dawn in Calcutta: A film about Mother Teresa – Zenit

(Zenit News / Ciudad del, 01.17.2022). – Last December, “Dawn in Calcutta” was shown in theaters, directed by José María Zavala, director of “The Mystery of Padre Pio”, “Wojtyła, the investigation” and “Rebirth”. This new film of the Testimony, which presents eight testimonies of the life of the encounter with Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and the fruits produced to carry out the Christian mission and vocation, is available in cinemas in various states of the Republic. Mexico, will soon premiere in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

“Sunrise in Calcutta” tells the testimonies of eight people who, due to various circumstances, met Mother Tersa of Calcutta or Missionaries of Charity, a congregation founded by the saint. As a result of that significant moment in their lives, each of them made their decisions in favor of evangelism, with great appreciation for the virtue of love. The people who tell their story are Christopher Hartley, a British-Spanish priest; Emmanuel Leclerc, Doctor of Philosophy and University Professor; Rosario Dueñas, victim of a propane gas explosion; Maria del Himalaya, a former abortion nurse; Kenley Chering, Jesuit priest; Patricia Moreno, BA in Information Science; Javier García Ugarte, Director of the NGO Fair World and Volunteers for Africa; and Father Jose Maria Calderon, Director of the Pontifical Apostolic Societies.

The cities of the Mexican Republic where the film was available in theaters are: Zacatecas, Los Mochis, Toluca, Leon, Tijuana, Irapuato, Tepec, Hermosillo, Queretaro, Cuernavaca, Puebla, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Ciudad Juarez, Morelia, Merida, Matamoros and Monterrey.

In an interview with Mundo Católico, director José María Zavala expressed the motivation behind making this film: He said it was the result of his experience filming “Wojtyła, The Investigation”, expressing that “a saint leads you to another saint”. He takes great comfort in being a tool that “touches the hearts of many people” and being able to recognize the suffering of others, their physical, emotional and spiritual shortcomings. The director of “Dawn in Calcutta” says with great certainty: “They need us to bring the image of Christ closer to them, because without Christ it is impossible to be happy. The central message of “Amanece en Calcutta” is to give life to Christ, which means to see Christ in each of our brothers the needy.”

Regarding the audience’s experience and response, Jose Maria Zavala said: “I’ve seen young people in their twenties leaving the cinema crying when they saw this film. Young people far from God who reconsidered their lives, who wondered what they had done so far… There were many From conversions, and there were young men who went to the confession center to make peace with God and changed their lives.” All this, says the director, is the hand and intercession of St. Teresa of Calcutta who worked miracles.

In the same interview, Gabe Jacoba, director and founder of the International Catholic Film Festival, expressed the importance of fathers proclaiming to their children the lives of saints and imbuing them with Christian values. The movie “Sunrise in Calcutta” is a great opportunity to start this formation and spiritual knowledge. Gabe Jacoba invites attendees to watch the film “to become ambassadors for Mother Teresa and Hope”.

Director Jose Maria Zavala called on theaters to fill up and called for “the defense and promotion of Catholic cinema.”