Pope John Paul's life on Cinema One

MANILA, Philippines - Cinema One combines the warmth of summer and the solemnity of the Holy Week when it features Karol: The Pope, The Man tomorrow, April 5, 8 p.m. on Blockbuster Sundays.

Originally titled Karol: Un Papa rimasto uomo in its Italian release in 2008, Karol: The Pope, The Man stars Piotr Adamczyk in a moving portrayal of the beloved pontiff (who also starred in Chopin: Desire for Love), Raoul Buova (La Lupa, Under the Tuscan Sun, St. Francis), Michelle Placido (Padre Pio) and Adriana Asti as Mother Teresa. Directed by Giacomo Battiato who also helmed another follow-up titled Karol The Man Who Became Pope and other period gems like Entrusted — starring Klaus Maria Brandauer and also The Young Casanova, Karol tells with almost documentary-esque beauty the story of John Paul II, one of the most recognized and beloved pontiffs in history.

Karol: The Man The Pope is a transparent account of his life and times by tracing his young life growing up in Poland. With real name Karol Josef Wojtyla, it covers the beginning of his papacy in 1978 being Pope John Paul II until his death in 2005. Underlined with the beautifully languid music of winning composer Ennio Morricone (Cinema Paradiso, Malena), Karol displays the man that he is, his philosophy and how he successfully helped to bring down communism. It recounts how he renewed the life of the church and despite his period of failing health, how he impacted the youth worldwide with love for Christ. Reaching out to other religions and world leaders with a message of peace and love, Karol The Pope The Man shows how and why an ordinary man rose to become one of the most influential leaders of the 20th Century.