Pope John Paul II was a prolific traveler. By the time he visited Uruguay in 1988 (part of a larger South American tour), he was already a global icon. The Vatican scheduled a massive open-air mass in a rural field just outside Melo. For the Vatican, this was a routine stop. For the 25,000 residents of Melo and the surrounding campo (countryside), it was the second coming of Christ—economically speaking.
Won the Horizons Award.
Have you seen "El Baño del Papa"? Do you think Beto was a fool or a hero? Share your thoughts below. El Bano del Papa
The film focuses on Beto, played with stunning authenticity by César Troncoso. Beto is a contrabandista —a smuggler who trudges across the muddy border paths on his bicycle, transporting goods between Uruguay and Brazil to make a meager living. He is a man of ingenuity but limited means, struggling to support his wife, Carmen, and his daughter, Silvia.
The film follows the excruciating 48 hours before and after the Mass. The directors employ a neorealist lens—long takes, non-professional locals in the background, and a suffocating sense of heat and dust. We watch Beto borrow money from a loan shark. We watch his wife hide the family ham so they can sell sandwiches. We watch the town paint their hovels. Pope John Paul II was a prolific traveler
"El Baño del Papa" was Uruguay's official submission for the . It garnered international acclaim at major festivals:
If you are looking for streaming, the film is frequently available on: For the Vatican, this was a routine stop
One of the most striking aspects of El Baño del Papa is its visual language. Co-director César Charlone, an Oscar-nominated cinematographer for his work on City of God , brings a documentarian's eye to the film. Unlike the kinetic, violent energy of the Brazilian favelas in City of God , the camera here is still, patient, and observational.