DOCUMENTARIES TECHNIQUE
FINISHING TOUCHES Piscopo wanted to use a human-centred approach for Nuns vs The Vatican through natural light and textures
STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT Nuns vs The Vatican , a film by Lorena Luciano, also explores a religious cult of sorts: the Catholic Church. Filippo Piscopo, Luciano’s partner (in work as well as life), served as the documentary’s DOP and producer. “Tackling major social issues through the tools of cinema – this is what was fascinating to me,” he shares. With a background in law and film studies, Piscopo unsurprisingly took an interest in themes such as power and oppression. “I’m drawn to the stories that expose what institutions try to keep in the dark,” he says. Around 2019 – the same year that the Jesus Army fell – Luciano and Piscopo
began exploring the idea for Nuns vs The Vatican . “After extensive investigating and networking, we met Gloria, who’s the main participant in the documentary – a former nun who was abused by a powerful celebrity priest,” Piscopo recounts. “We started with her story.” The Vatican’s goings on are usually kept tightly under wraps, which forced Luciano and Piscopo to approach the documentary as if they were an outside observer. “All the information is kept secret, and all the proceedings are happening behind closed doors. Everyone wants to be kept anonymous,” he states. “After a long discussion, Gloria and the other nuns decided to come out in the open.” After gathering sources, Piscopo put on his DOP’s cap. “We wanted to use a human-centred visual approach for this film,” he says. “I used natural light and captured textures enmeshed in the environment as B roll. I wanted to render the impenetrable nature of The Vatican. I’m also passionate about verité-style documentary filmmaking and using high contrast to highlight both trauma and resilience.” Piscopo received a Canon fellowship, granting him access to a Canon EOS C500 Mark II and a selection of Sumire Prime lenses. “The painterly look that
It’s truth TOLD THROUGH THE EYES OF the director and DOP ”
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