CABRINI (2024) – Another gem from the director of Sound of Freedom

Cabrini tells the amazing true story of a steadfast Italian nun who built a chain of housing and healthcare facilities for the hundreds of Italina immigrant orphaned children and poor in New York during the late 19th century. It is directed by Alejandro Monteverde who gave us last year’s exceptional Sound of Freedom. That movie was also based on a true-life story former CIA agent Tim Ballard who rescued children from child traffickers. That story has been somewhat tarnished through recent events in 2023 which had Tim Ballard face accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women! That is another story … we are here to talk about a more bona fide heroine Francesca Cabrini, the Catholic missionary who overcomes all sorts of obstacles to reach her goal of building a chain or orphanages for the poor. It is an amazing story that I am surprised has not been told on celluloid until now.

One of the things that made Sounf of Freedom such a memorable and effective movie was its director Alejandro’s ability to tell a story through beautiful visual imagery. Here he rewards us once again with another production that is rich with lush cinematography, and another story that celebrates the goodness of human beings told with authenticity. The production values are first-rate across the board from the strong performances, impactful script, and an original soundtrack that includes a hauntingly beautiful ballad “Dare to Be” performed by Andrea Bocelli and his daughter Virgini Bocelli at the end credits. The Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna gives a stunning performance in a character that is reminiscent of old-fashioned movies. We are truly mesmerised by her as she overcomes obstacles after obstacles in her path including illness (she was suffering from tuberculosis), resistance from within the church, as well as from the authorities. Her story is inspirational and Alejandro succeeds in honouring her effort beautifully in this biopic.

Like Sound of Freedom, this movie is released by Angel Studios, a studio that is known for its Christian themed films. This association has somehow become somewhat of a stigma to many movie goers and critics alike who would sway towards biasedly rejecting the films. While I agree that some poorly conceived faith-based movies may come across as propaganda to spread the religion, I can also attest to many which do not preach and are extremely well made. Like Sound of Freedom, Cabrini non preachy and avoid even making any references directly from the bible. This is not a faith-based film but shows the power of faith nonetheless. No doubt, this film will be kept under the radar and ignored by all the major film awards as was the case with Sound of Freedom. Sad to see such prejudice and discrimination even in the world of art and movies.

Cabrini celebrates the achievements of a remarkable human being and is nothing short of an incredible and inspirational true story. Cabrini is hugely celebrated and was even canonized, making her the first American saint (the patron saint of immigrants). The film focus on her journey in building the first of many hospitals for the poor which carried on to grow with her order spreading all over the world, including China.

I am looking forward to more similar greatness from director Alejandro Monteverde in the future.