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To many people across the world, “Cabrini” might just be the name on a number of hospitals and schools, but it’s just that – a name. In fact, those hospitals were named after Mother Cabrini, a Catholic nun who was assigned to help the orphans of Five Points in 19th Century New York City, but instead, spoke out for all immigrants coming to the city and against the way they were being treated.
In the new drama Cabrini, directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Monteverde – who had a massive hit in 2023 with Sound of Freedom – Mother Cabrini is played by Cristiana Dell’Anna (Gomorrah), as she accepts an assignment from the Vatican to come to New York’s most crime and poverty-stricken to help children with no parents or homes. She gets a lot of pushback from everyone around her, including the city’s mayor (John Lithgow), but through her perseverance and stubbornness in getting things done, she would go onto become a major advocate for kids and the Italian-American community.
In the movie, actor David Morse (Dancer in the Dark) plays the Archbishop of New York, who doesn’t outright get in Mother Cabrini’s way, but he does try to protect her, knowing how difficult it will be getting anything done in a city that’s still rife with racism against Italians and other immigrants.
The film is a stunning and inspirational biopic that recreates many aspects of New York City during the 19th Century, not just Five Points but also the richer areas, and Ms. Dell’Anna gives a performance that, at any other time of year, would be in the awards conversations.
CinemaDailyUS’s Edward Douglas spoke with Monteverde, Ms. Dell’Anna, and Morse out of the New York City junket, interviews you can watch below.
Exclusive Interview with Writer/Director Alejandro Monteverde
Cabrini will open nationwide on Friday, March 8.
Synopsis : From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of “Sound of Freedom”, comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society’s most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Material|Language|Some Violence|Smoking)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Director: Alejandro Monteverde
Producer: Jonathan Sanger, Leo Severino
Writer: Rod Barr, Alejandro Monteverde
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 8, 2024 Wide
Runtime: 2h 25m
Distributor: Angel Studios Production Co: Francesca Film Production NY