Vatican Heads to the Oscars with Submission of Moving Documentary that they Helped Produce - WATCH the Trailer


‘Green Lava’: A Young Man’s Quiet Strength Begins Its Journey Toward the Oscars

Green Lava, a moving documentary short produced in collaboration with Vatican Media, has arrived in Beverly Hills for an exclusive weeklong run at the Lumiere Music Hall—marking the film’s first official step toward qualification for the Academy Awards.

Directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu, the Italian-language short with English subtitles introduces viewers to Giacomo Mattivi, a 22-year-old sociology student and poet from the Italian Dolomites. Living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Giacomo uses a wheelchair and a ventilator, but his condition is far from his defining characteristic. Between university classes, writing poetry, teaching catechism, and spending time with loved ones, Giacomo lives with an understated intensity—one shaped in part by the loss of his brother Mattia to the same illness in 2022.

Rather than succumbing to grief, the Mattivi family channeled their loss into community support through their association, Shemà, and the Casa Iride project, promoting youth inclusion and peace in their hometown of Baselga di Piné. Giacomo’s inspiring story first caught attention through a 2024 Vatican Radio podcast series, Il talento di Giacomo, laying the foundation for Green Lava.

“If you look at illness from another perspective, you understand so much about suffering and how the world works,” Giacomo shared with Vatican Media. For him, the prospective Oscar campaign isn't about personal glory, but about broadcasting a vital message of hope, fraternity, and ecological care inspired by Pope Francis.

For the filmmakers and supporters, the impact is already profound:

  • Lia Beltrami (Co-Director): “Telling Giacomo’s story was a great challenge. His strength and joy touch every cell in your body... It shows how powerful a life lived in faith can be.”

  • Ali Aksu (Co-Director & Producer): “As a producer committed to social impact, my vocation is to bring untold stories to light and inspire the world through purpose-driven storytelling.”

  • Dr. Paolo Ruffini (Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication): Calling the film “an antidote to our clouded eyes,” Ruffini described Green Lava as an “irreverent” yet deeply moving journey into the quiet beauty of resilience.

  • Source - https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-09/green-lava-giacomo-mattivi-story-on-the-road-to-the-oscars.html

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