Movie entitled "The Victory of Love Over Death": chronicles the life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, highlighting his triumph against death through love.
In the heart of August, we commemorate the 84th anniversary of St. Maximilian Kolbe's martyrdom in the Nazi concentration camp. The American film, The Triumph of the Heart, offers a compelling portrayal of the final 14 days of the Polish Franciscan's life in Auschwitz.
The film, produced in the USA, takes the viewer back to the last 14 days spent in the starvation cell at Auschwitz by St. Maximilian Kolbe. It begins near the end of his life, using flashbacks to reveal his earlier missionary work and his arrest by the Gestapo for sheltering refugees, including Jews, at his monastery.
The Triumph of the Heart emphasises Kolbe’s role as a guide who transformed his fellow inmates' final moments from despair to hope. The film’s intense chamber-drama style was created to deeply convey the prisoners' suffering and Kolbe’s selflessness. The cast, including Polish actors, immersed themselves by filming in damp, unheated cells and living on minimal rations to authentically represent the experience.
Marcin Kwaśny, the film's lead actor who plays Kolbe, explains that St. Maximilian teaches us that only love is creative. Kwaśny spent 12-14 hours a day in a dark, cold, and damp cell for the film's shooting. He emphasises that St. Maximilian did not focus on himself but served others and responded to hatred with love.
The film's director, Anthony D’Ambrosio, worked on the screenplay for many years, adding a personal dimension to the story. He highlights that the film is fundamentally a story of hope, and that the cast and crew felt a profound spiritual presence during production.
St. Maximilian Kolbe radiated the light of Christ in the camp, despite it seeming devoid of God. According to Kwaśny, this film has been the most challenging of his career due to its deep spiritual and emotional dimension. The actors in the film worked with extreme precision in English to avoid any mistakes.
The film is both a historical drama and a spiritual portrait, underscoring Kolbe’s legacy as the first Polish martyr of World War II canonized for charity by Pope John Paul II in 1982. It premiered in Poland on August 13, 2025, with a U.S. theatrical release scheduled for September 12, 2025.
During the Wednesday general audience, Pope Leo XIV remembered the figure of the saint and encouraged people to take his heroic attitude of sacrifice for others as an example. The film features a drama of daily life in the camp, with a spiritual message of hope and love. It is a testament to the enduring power of the spirit that overcomes death.
In a poignant moment, St. Maximilian Kolbe, as portrayed by Kwaśny, was a man of extraordinary gentleness and patience. He shared what he had even when he was hungry, according to Kwaśny. The actors in the film ate minimal meals to feel a bit of the prisoners' hunger in the camp.
The film's title, The Triumph of the Heart, symbolises Kolbe’s victory of hope over despair. It is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of love and sacrifice, even in the darkest of times. As we remember St. Maximilian Kolbe, let us be inspired by his courage and selflessness, and strive to embody his message of hope and love in our own lives.
Movies-and-tv like "The Triumph of the Heart" offer an intense portrayal of St. Maximilian Kolbe's life during the World War II, emphasizing the role of entertainment in spreading his message of hope and love. This film, produced in the USA, is a compelling blend of historical drama and spiritual portrait that sheds light on Kolbe's legacy.
In the heart of August, when we commemorate St. Maximilian Kolbe's martyrdom, the film serves as a poignant reminder of his life, providing a powerful message for entertainment enthusiasts. The film's immersive style, with the cast working in unheated cells and minimal rations, showcases the importance of movies-and-tv in maintaining authenticity and deep emotional connections.
