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You might already have seen one of Netflix’s most recent releases: Mary. It’s such a simple — but nonetheless powerful — film title for the woman who changed history, and our relationship with God.
It’s also an interesting move from the platform to release another faith-based film on a religious story that is known by most of the world. Last year the series Testament, which documented the life of Moses, proved a big hit among believers and non-believers.
However, Mary, starring the legendary Sir Anthony Hopkins as a demonic King Herod, and newcomer Noa Cohen as Mary, and the charming Ido Tako as Joseph, is also garnering a number of fans.
Aleteia got to speak with the movie director D. J. Caruso about his latest project and discover the thinking behind his approach to visually portraying the Mother of God.
We invite you to look at the video above where Caruso — who is more normally dedicated to movies in the horror, action, and drama genres — not only shares his personal passion for and devotion to Mary (spoiler: he really does love her!), but some wonderful insight into the making of the movie about “one of the most compelling characters ever to walk the planet.“
Making Mary accessible
If you take a look, the devout Catholic and father-of-five shared his thoughts about why the movie-makers chose to make the film as they did, and the reasons they felt that in 2024, there is place to share the well-known story with millions of people.
As Caruso shared:
“I wanted to tell a proper story about her that can humanize her and make her more accessible to more people. Whether it’s a younger audience who — you know sometimes that beautiful, iconic, holy Mother seems maybe too far away from them … to understand her grace, her importance and her courage.”
As you’ll hear, by telling a story that dates back millennia, Caruso also felt it was “a great way to celebrate my faith” — not always easy in the Hollywood movie industry.
Playing Mary
And while Noa Cohen was unavailable for interview due to the current political situation in Israel, she did share her thoughts on playing the Holy Mother:
“I decided to take on the role of Mary because it offered a unique opportunity to explore a side of her that hadn’t been fully portrayed before. This film allows audiences to see Mary not just as a vessel for something greater but as a young woman navigating the complexities of life, balancing her divine role with her humanity.
Playing her was an incredible experience that felt both humbling, and a tremendous responsibility. Embodying her vulnerability and resilience as she faced both divine and very human challenges was deeply fulfilling. It was a special opportunity to bring her story to life in a way that will hopefully allow the audience to connect with her on a deeply human level.”
Take a little time to discover more about the man behind the movie and learn a little more about why certain decisions were made. (If you’ve watched the movie yourself, we’d love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments section.)
And today we celebrate...