Month: July 2026

By Michele Diomà

Nearly seven years after the founding of WILD FILMMAKER, I feel a special sense of excitement in publishing this interview. Not only because it is dedicated to one of the films I love most, The Last Temptation of Christ, but also because it explores a subject that I consider to be at the very heart of our editorial identity: freedom.
Freedom of expression is the essential foundation of every genuine work of art. Yet cinema, more than most other art forms, has often had to contend with limitations imposed by its very nature. Making a film has always required significant financial resources and, as a result, has often involved compromises, constraints, and external pressures. Fortunately, this reality is changing. Technological progress and the gradual reduction of production costs are giving filmmakers ever greater creative independence. And with that comes the possibility of a truly free cinema.
In my view, The Last Temptation of Christ stands as one of the finest expressions of that freedom. It is a masterpiece of cinematic art not only for its extraordinary visual and narrative power, but also because it embodies the courage of an artist who chose to remain faithful to his vision despite the controversy it provoked. Martin Scorsese demonstrated that creative freedom is not a privilege, it is a responsibility.
I would therefore like to thank Martin Scorsese for the courage with which he brought this remarkable work to life; all those who, often behind the scenes, believed in the film and made its existence possible; Father Antonio Spadaro, who met with Scorsese and presented him with the book at the center of this interview; and, of course, Pierluigi Di Pasquale, author of this outstanding volume devoted to The Last Temptation of Christ.
Enjoy the interview.

-What inspired you to dedicate a book to Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ?

My initial idea was actually to write the screenplay for a documentary to be produced for the fortieth anniversary of The Last Temptation of Christ and its controversial presentation at the Venice Film Festival. During the research phase for the documentary, I found information about the story in many books and countless newspaper articles published at the time, but no Italian publication devoted entirely to the controversy surrounding this film. Moreover, in one of the books I consulted, I read that the film had such a complicated and convoluted history that it deserved a book of its own. In the United States, a few books were published when the film was released in theaters, but they deal only with the events that took place overseas, and I naturally cite them in my essay. Above all, however, I wanted to write a defense of Scorsese’s film, which scandalized Christian fundamentalists and sparked an intense controversy over its alleged blasphemy, ultimately becoming the subject of what was, in every respect, an unjust trial.

–What new or previously undiscovered insights emerged from your research into the challenges and controversies surrounding The Last Temptation of Christ when it was released in 1988?

For The Last Temptation of Christ, Martin Scorsese endured vicious accusations and boycotts, often from people who had never even seen the film, and this began long before he was able to make it. In fact, in 1983, just four days before principal photography was due to begin, and despite five million dollars already having been spent, Paramount, intimidated by the protests and threats of Christian fundamentalists, decided to cancel the project. Even when Scorsese finally managed, five years later, to make his long-desired film about Jesus, violent demonstrations by fanatics followed: cinema screens were slashed, film prints were burned, and theaters showing the movie were even set on fire. In some countries, the film was never authorized for distribution. The controversy continued in Italy when The Last Temptation of Christ was included in the program of the Venice Film Festival by its then director, Guglielmo Biraghi, who declared that he considered it “a very Catholic film.” The uproar was further fueled by a complaint alleging contempt for the state religion, which was, of course, immediately dismissed by the public prosecutor’s office. However, the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) issued an official condemnation and, in an attitude reminiscent of the Holy Office, urged the faithful not to see what it described as “an unacceptable and morally offensive” film. Fortunately, many distinguished theologians, intellectuals, and film critics defended the sincerity of Scorsese’s intentions and found nothing scandalous in his work. Lino Miccichè went so far as to describe the film as one of the most incandescent acts of faith ever produced by American cinema. Tullio Kezich, writing in la Repubblica, also came to Scorsese’s defense, suggesting that even a work like this could bring people closer to faith.

-Thanks to Father Antonio Spadaro, Martin Scorsese recently received a copy of your book and expressed his appreciation for it. Do you think this could be the first step toward developing a documentary based on your book?

Now that Martin Scorsese has received a copy of my book thanks to our mutual dear friend Antonio Spadaro, and after recording a video in which the director expressed his appreciation and thanked me for writing it, I am pursuing the documentary project with even greater enthusiasm.

-As part of the reappraisal of The Last Temptation of Christ, the Church has also recognized both the artistic and theological value of the film. Could you tell us more about this important shift in perspective?

Thanks once again to Father Antonio Spadaro, Scorsese’s film has finally been rehabilitated by the Church. Spadaro, who serves as Undersecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, described The Last Temptation of Christ as a Christologically sound film. He wrote this in a beautiful article published in the May issue of La Civiltà Cattolica, with the approval of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. This represents a complete reversal of the sentence of condemnation that the Church had pronounced, even in official forms, against the film. This recognition of its Christological correctness amounts to an acquittal that comes almost forty years later. Naturally, all of this will be included in the documentary, which will recount the unjust trial the film endured in the 1980s, the reopening of the case following the publication of my book in 2024, and this rehabilitation, which has made Martin Scorsese extremely happy. Thirty-eight years later, the hope that Scorsese expressed the day after the film’s premiere in Venice has finally come true: “I continue to hope that, in time, the Catholic Church will be able to see the film in the spirit in which it was made. At first, I dreamed that the clergy would appreciate the film and that it would encourage a positive dialogue.”

-The Last Temptation of Christ has always reminded me of the atmosphere of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew. What similarities do you see between these two films?

In the first chapter of my book, I briefly retrace the history of films devoted to the figure of Jesus, highlighting the movies Martin Scorsese watched from childhood onward. Among all the films about Christ, the one that had the greatest impact on him was Pier Paolo Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew. Scorsese confirmed this once again during a conversation with Antonio Spadaro at an event held in Rome last December to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Pasolini’s death. This film departs from the grandeur of Hollywood biblical epics and avoids turning the story into a spectacle. Like Scorsese’s work, it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus more than His divinity. Pasolini restores the disruptive power of Jesus’ words without the embellishments of traditional religious iconography. During the event in Rome, Scorsese repeated a statement he had already made many years earlier in an interview that I quote in my book: “Christ is the God-Man for us believers, but for everyone He is the man who gave us the most important message for the survival of our race on earth.”

-The Last Temptation of Christ has long represented a battle for freedom of expression in cinema. WILD FILMMAKER, now the world’s largest community of independent film producers, has made freedom of speech its core principle. Do you believe it is important to have an international platform where artists can express themselves freely, without constraints?

Absolutely. The freedom of expression fostered by a community such as WILD FILMMAKER is of tremendous importance. Despite the rehabilitation of Scorsese’s film, many issues still remain. This story should renew attention to the freedom to express one’s ideas and to the right to profess one’s religious faith. At the time, the only production company that refused to be intimidated by the protests and threats of Christian fundamentalism was Universal, which invoked constitutional protections. Fortunately, these freedoms are also guaranteed by our magnificent Italian Constitution, which deserves to be defended because it protects us.

-Who is Aurélie Latona?

To describe myself, I would say that I’m a simple person who values authenticity, honesty, and kindness. At least, I try to leave that impression on everyone I meet throughout my life. I’m a single mother raising a child with a disability, and thanks to my son, I’ve learned patience and what truly matters most in life. I’m usually my own worst critic, but if I leave a lasting impression on someone, I hope it’s a positive one. I live in France, to Grenoble.

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

The exact moment I fell in love with cinema was when I was six years old, watching Jurassic Park. That day, two passions were born: archaeology and filmmaking. Seeing dinosaurs brought to life and projected onto a giant screen for thousands of people completely amazed me. Later, I learned that dinosaurs were extinct, but my passion for cinema never disappeared. What fascinated me most was being behind the camera and writing the stories I wanted to bring to life on screen. That’s when I started writing my very first story drafts.

-Tell us about your project “Bad Influence / Mauvaise Influence”.

Bad Influence is an independent short film made with a volunteer crew. It tackles difficult subjects such as marital rape, coercive control, and the exploitation of a partner for prostitution, while also exploring the psychological hold one person can have over another. Lucie knows she could leave, that she could escape this living nightmare, but she stays because she feels trapped. As viewers, we feel just as powerless. We watch the events unfold before our eyes, unable to intervene, just like Lucie herself. During filming, one of the most memorable moments for the crew was being in the room while my actors, Camille Labrot and Méverick Graux, performed the bedroom scene. It was deeply uncomfortable and emotionally suffocating, because we experienced what Lucie was going through in the presence of this man. They both delivered extraordinary performances, and I’m incredibly proud of their work. My Director of Photography, Rachem Moyen, and I were completely in sync throughout the production. He understood my vision from the very beginning and translated even my smallest ideas into powerful images. His work was simply outstanding.This project was incredibly ambitious, with a script that was both emotionally and technically challenging to bring to the screen. Yet fifteen people believed in me and volunteered their time and talent and my co-productions too : Shaolin Shadow, la Mine Productions et Rachem Productions. I’ll never forget that incredible feeling of achieving the dream I had as a little girl. It’s truly surreal.

-Which Director inspires you the most?

I’m a huge admirer of Charlie Chaplin. His ability to express every emotion through body language alone, without saying a single word, has always fascinated me. More recently, of course, I’ve been deeply inspired by Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan. They have an extraordinary talent for transporting audiences into incredible worlds while still making everything feel grounded and believable. Their filmmaking relies on craft rather than excessive visual effects, and in that sense, all three directors share something in common: they’re never interested in superficiality.

-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?

There is so much to say about a world that still isn’t functioning as it should. There are countless battles to fight if we want to build a better future where everyone has a place and can live in peace. The causes that matter most to me are the living conditions of women and children, especially issues such as violence, poverty, and disability. I hope that one day they will all be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, rather than being used as bargaining chips or excuses to justify the destruction of countries and lives.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years? 

I sincerely hope there will still be real film sets filled with real people, and that human creativity will remain at the heart of filmmaking. Technology, filmmaking techniques, and cameras will undoubtedly continue to evolve, but I hope authenticity, everything that makes us human, will still shine through every story brought to the screen. I also hope cinema will continue to be a shared experience that brings people together.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

To be completely honest, I’m only just discovering WILD FILMMAKER, and I’m delighted to do so. As someone who’s still at the beginning of my filmmaking journey, every new encounter fills me with the same sense of wonder I had as a six-year-old child. I’m realizing that I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in this industry, and that there are so many opportunities waiting to be discovered. WILD FILMMAKER is one of them. You’ve given me the opportunity to talk about a project that means so much to me while giving emerging filmmakers a platform to share their voices, and I’m truly grateful for that. If the six-year-old version of myself could see what I’m doing today, giving an interview to talk about one of my films, she simply wouldn’t believe it. For that alone, thank you for giving me this unforgettable moment.

-Who is Michael Meyers?

I’m a playwright, screenwriter, musician, and former standup comedian raising a family in the northwest of the United States. I primarily write grounded, character-driven stories that find comedy in the dramatic and seek heart where there is suffering. I think the power of friendship is underrated and the satisfaction of affluence is overrated. And I think music is a universal tonic for pain.

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

Before I was a teenager I attended a Halloween screening of the 1925 silent classic Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney. It was a full house, and the picture was shown in a deteriorating movie palace built in 1928. Included was a live organ accompanist playing the original score. The dynamic combination of being in the dark with a community of strangers and sharing a story, its sight and sounds in a magical setting left a powerful impression and inspired my first “film studio,” LCII productions, where I created rudimentary short stop-motion productions.

-Tell us about your project “The Iditarod Band”.

The Iditarod Band is drawn from my experience in Alaska in the 1980’s. My friends and I were young and eager to discover our places in the world. I was a fish out of water, a man who neither fished nor hunted, a cheechako with a guitar. But through music I found my people, and they were not who I expected. My female friends were pioneers, members of an early generation of women untethering themselves from matrimonial expectations. And we were witnessing a sea change in the culture when, starting in 1985, for the first time a woman won the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. They won four years in a row, and it seemed to us anything was possible. The Iditarod Band captures the hope of youth, the magic of friendships and the faithful nurturing of dreams that define who we become.

-Which Director inspires you the most?

Tough question: I love films of the 50’s and 60’s and there are half a dozen directors in particular who coaxed extraordinary performance from their talent. But if I had to choose it would be Billy Wilder. His portfolio is an extraordinary compilation of comedies, histories and dramas, a range as rich as Shakespeare’s, assembled while collaborating with the greatest acting talents and their egos for over half a century.

-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?

I dislike how cruelty, indifference to suffering and apathy have been normalized as a creed. I believe if folks simply asked themselves “Why?” about their choices, then drilled down on the values underlying their answers, they would become more thoughtful, considerate, generous, and understanding of other living things in this world.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

The ability to create and share visual stories will likely be easier as technology simplifies filmmaking and begets a hundred million auteurs. But I hope what is sustained is the experience of going to a place, a cinema, and sharing a compelling, emotionally engaging drama, or a hilarious misadventure. The collective experience of being in the dark and sharing an unfolding event with others is a core element of cinema. It is a place and an immersive experience with strangers brought together by a common hunger. It is a modern version of tribal storytelling shared around a fire. Conversely, what we watch on TV, laptops or our phones is not, in my opinion, cinema. It is its own thing.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

First, it’s such an honor to be invited to share my thoughts about my work and about cinema. WILD FILMMAKER seems to celebrate both the artistic giants of the cinema as well as the aspirants using film and storytelling to chronicle our modern lives and our desperate efforts to make emotional connections with anyone in an increasingly disconnected and shrinking world. It is a forum that invites discussion of how we can tell timeless, unfiltered stories without gatekeepers collecting tickets.