Cinematheque: Premiere Showcase

Legendary actor Michel Piccoli (Contempt, Dillinger is Dead) stars as an unlikely pontiff in this winning comedy-drama. When the pope dies and Cardinal Melville (Piccoli) is unexpectedly selected to take his place, he gets cold feet. Scrambling to save face, the Vatican brings in a shrink (director Nanni Moretti) to convince Melville he’s up to the task. This unique blend of satire and humanism was named best film of 2011 by Cahiers du Cinema. (35mm, 102 min., Italian with subtitles.)