杏MAP导航

By Kielce Gussie

The story of the young man from Milan, who died at the age of 15 and is now buried in his sweatshirt and sneakers in Assisi, spread quickly throughout the world. From his everyday look to his website dedicated to Eucharistic miracles, people seemed to be able to find something they could relate to.

Yet, beyond the now well-known titles people have given him—the saint in sneakers or God’s influencer—a new documentary strives to break down the stereotypes of young Carlo Acutis and shine light on his life through three different perspectives.

Saints were human too

In an interview with Vatican News, Edmundo Reyes, executive producer of the documentary The Boy from Milan, explains how the crew received the news of Carlo’s canonization while they were filming an interview with his mother, Antonia. “You don't get to talk to the mother of a saint very often,” Reyes exclaims, explaining that she received the call from the Holy See at that moment and shared it with the crew.

Carlo is set to be canonized as the first millenial saint on April 27

Carlo had already been chosen as the next protagonist in the documentary series, Based on a True Saint, which recounts the stories of saints and soon-to-be saints. While these canonized figures are often portrayed as superheroes, Reyes shares the idea behind this project was to take a different path. 

He says they wanted to show saints “as human, not to humanize them, but to show them as people who lived, dreamed, laughed, cried, and people who are relatable.” In this way, viewers could see that sanctity is not something for just a few but for all.

A mother, teacher, and doctor

While books and at least one other film have been made about the Italian teen, this documentary tells his story from three different perspectives: that of his mother, his teacher, and his doctor. Each was chosen because they offer a look into a certain aspect of Carlo’s life. 

His mother was a natural choice to share insight into the day-to-day life of the young teen living at home. The second person in the documentary would have seen Carlo out with his friends and away from parental guidance—Fabrizio Zaggia was Carlo’s high school religion teacher. 

Reyes: . “The beautiful thing about the documentary is that it portrays Carlo closer to his essence: his love for the Eucharist, his love for the poor, seeing Christ in all the people in need.”

Reyes points out that “all the things we know about Carlo, Zaggia was able to see them differently" and recall moments that paint Carlo as an everyday teen. The teacher recalls that he would sometimes miss assignments and when Zaggia would ask why, Carlo would say he had more important things to do. It was not until after the teen’s death and his work in caring for the poor came to light that Zaggia understood what Carlo’s answer meant.

The crew wanted “someone from the latter days of his life because we wanted to see that progression of Carlo growing closer and closer to God.” So, Doctor Mercedes was chosen. She offers a look into Carlo's life after being diagnosed with leukaemia and living through chemotherapy. Doctor Mercedes saw "how he suffered and how he was offering all of that to the Lord, and she witnessed the peace that came from his relationship with God" during this challenging time.

Beyond the sneakers

More than a simple retelling of Carlo Acutis’ life, the documentary - now available on Formed.org - breaks down stereotypes that have become a part of his story. For example, Reyes says, “people have created this idea that he was a computer geek or he was very invested in technology.” But that’s not what Reyes saw.

The new documentary was released on April 2, ahead of the canonization in Rome

More than a tech-lover and sneaker-wearing teen, Reyes says the documentary encourages people to look at the Carlo beneath all the stereotypes. “The beautiful thing about the documentary is that it portrays Carlo closer to his essence: his love for the Eucharist, his love for the poor, and seeing Christ in all the people in need.”

Reyes shares that before starting this project he did not have a very strong connection to Carlo. But working on the documentary drew him closer to the soon-to-be saint that people are able to relate to because “he lived in our times…and we see that we too can be called to holiness through seeing Carlo's life and letting God inspire us through it.”