The Vatican has submitted a film for Academy Award consideration for the first time in the 97-year history of the Oscars. The documentary, “Green Lava,” premiered Friday, September 18 at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, with screenings running through September 24.
The 39-minute film was produced by the Vatican and co-directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu. It tells the true story of Giacomo Mattivi, a 22-year-old Italian man from the Dolomites who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakens the heart and lungs. Mattivi’s brother, Mattia, had the same condition and died in January 2022.
The documentary first aired through Vatican media in Rome in January 2025, during the Jubilee of the World of Communications, before making its way to Southern California this month.
Paolo Ruffini, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, said the story warranted a wider audience. “Giacomo’s story deserves to be known by everyone, and that is why we are delighted about the opportunity to include ‘Green Lava’ in the Oscar submission process,” he told Variety, calling it “a story that is a celebration of life and friendship.”
Director Lia Beltrami, who lives in the same village as the Mattivi family, told Variety that the people of the Italian Dolomites are “very special people who care and tend to their families and their communities.” She added, “It is beautiful to see in today’s world that the community has rallied around Giacomo, they treat him automatically with kindness and inclusion. It is my hope that the world will see this film and be inspired to be like the people of the mountains.”
Despite his condition, Mattivi studies sociology, works as a catechist, writes poetry, and pursues interests in cinema and music. He met with the late Pope Francis on several occasions, most recently in January 2025. A five-part 2024 Vatican Radio podcast series, “Giacomo’s Talent: The Journey of a Young Poet from Disability to Inspiration,” previously chronicled his life and how his brother’s death shaped his creativity and faith.
Mattivi said he is “truly happy and excited” that the film has reached a broader audience and called it a “key to seeing the best that exists within each of us.” He said the Oscar submission is not about personal recognition but about spreading the film’s message as widely as possible.
“If you look at illness from another perspective, you understand many things about the way the world works, about suffering, and even about its meaning, which is sometimes not easy to understand,” Mattivi said.
Beltrami said capturing Mattivi’s story was demanding. “Telling Giacomo’s story was a great challenge. His strength, his joy in living, and the depth of his being touch every cell in your body,” she said, describing the Mattivi family and their community as an “example of authenticity and solidarity, of a living Gospel.” She added that bringing the film to Hollywood offers a chance to show “how meaningful a life live in faith can be.”
