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Denver, CO (September 9, 2019)
Launching in theaters with a one-night-only Fathom Event on November 6, The Divine Plan shares the captivating parallels between the lives of President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. In a partnership that changed the world, the film poses the question: Was the pontiff and the politician’s work overthrowing communism the result of inexorable political and economic forces, or could if have been part of what Reagan called “the divine plan?”
Fathom Events and Nexus Media will present The Divine Plan in nearly 700 select movie theaters on November 6 at 7:00 p.m. local time. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website or thedivineplanmovie.com. (Theaters and participants are subject to change.)
Watch the movie trailer here:
Also included in this special one-night-only event is an exclusive in-depth Q&A with filmmaker Robert Orlando and author Paul Kengor, filmed at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture. This exclusive footage will only be available to be viewed during the theatrical screening on November 6.
Created by visionary director Robert Orlando (Apostle Paul: A Polite Bribe, Silence Patton: First Victim of the Cold War), the feature-length documentary unveils both the religious and political history that shaped the passions of these two world leaders. By probing deep into the shadows of the Cold War, Orlando and those interviewed expose events that support a vivid and uncommon mission during this fragile chapter of human history.
The Divine Plan blurs the lines of conventional documentary filmmaking as the scenes play out through a combination of interviews with historians and experts, audio and video archives, and illustrations that blend graphic novel illustrations with cold war era Soviet propaganda.
“We live in a superhero world, and even our historical figures require captivating graphic arts to hold the audience’s interest,” explains Orlando. “Reagan and JPII were mythical figures because they stood for values that transcended their lifetimes. And their battle was with a clear nemesis, the Soviet Union, a struggle that has not gone away, but gone cyber!”
Reagan and John Paul II’s relationship and extraordinary bond has often been described as being directed by a higher power. The striking similarities in their lives cannot be downplayed. The two grew up on separate continents, but from their struggles in childhood to their early careers in the arts, from a youthful passion for their faith in God to influencing the world at large, their stories seem uncannily linked. This extends to 1981, when their stories became permanently entwined. The Pope and the President were both shot by would-be assassins a mere six weeks apart. After recovering from their near fatal injuries, these two leaders of unmatched influence confided in each other in a shared belief that God spared their lives to be the catalysts to defeat communism and end the cold war.
The Divine Plan features interviews with some of the greatest minds on the topics of the Cold War, Catholic History, and Presidential Politics, including: Dr. Paul Kengor, CNN’s presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, Reagan’s National Security Advisor Richard V. Allen, National Review Editor John O’Sullivan, Craig Shirley, Stephen Kotkin, George Weigel, Bishop Robert Barron, Washington Post Columnist Anne Applebaum, Monika Jablonska, Dr. Marek Jan Chadakiewicz, Dr. H.W Brands, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.
Kengor shares, “Robert Orlando has assembled a remarkable chorus of leading historians, biographers, theologians, and eyewitnesses who give voice to this extraordinary relationship between these two men. It seems a truly providential relationship that, as both men would attest, was part of a Divine Plan. This is a fascinating and beautifully crafted film. Whether you lived trough this period or not, you will be captivated.”
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