Jean B. LoGiudice
June 23, 2004

Twenty years ago, Leonardo Defilippis (emphasis on “lip”) had a conversion experience. He was a Shakespearean actor at the time and fully immersed in the secular world of the arts. His experience of God turned him to a new road, where he would use his art to serve God. Having started this new life with his production of the Gospel of Luke, Leonardo and his wife, Patti, decided to keep that identify in their production company, thus St. Luke Productions/Luke Films.

The first years on this new road saw the Defilippises producing/performing a new work one year and having a baby the next; new production, new baby; new production, new baby. Fifteen prolific years of their lives gave the world works such as Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz, John of the Cross, St. Francis: Troubadour of God’s Peace, The Song of Songs, The Passion According to St. Luke, The Gift of Peace, The Confessions of Saint Augustine….and seven Defilippis children.

Last week Leonardo traveled to Las Vegas from his home in Oregon to make a presentation at the Secular Discalced Carmelite Congress which was held here; and upon his arrival on June 17, he met for a quickly arranged supper with some 30 plus Thérèse volunteers in Las Vegas (thank you Father John Andrew, Father Bob and Father Alexis for being there with us!). He told us at that supper that he and his associates at Luke Films have been stunned at the enthusiasm and interest the Las Vegas faithful have been demonstrating, by telephone calls and emails and letters and a tremendous launching of a diocesan-wide petition drive—signatures for bringing Thérèse to Las Vegas in October. Since he was going to be here, he wanted to meet some of these Las Vegas fanatics!

You can learn all about the filming of Thérèse at their beautiful web site (www.theresemovie.com), and meet all the talented people who came to be involved in the making of this remarkable film. Leonardo told us last Thursday that he knew Thérèse on a personal level in his prayer life and long wanted to bring her remarkable story to a feature film, the first on her life in English. Nothing less could he fathom in presenting Thérèse than a lush period piece with attention to authenticity in every detail. Authenticity was provided in numerous ways. Habits, for instance. They didn’t have to be sewn by costumers, because they are real: provided by Carmelites who have prayed and provided so many of the movie’s props—from habits and liturgical vestments to bells and pots from that time of one hundred years ago. Leonardo never considered doing her story on a smaller scale because of his belief that Thérèse is a saint for everyone, not just a small interested audience. Thérèse must be introduced to the whole world, and especially youth who so sorely need such a model, a genuine heroine possible to emulate. Capturing the simplicity and purity of Thérèse, getting the message of her life onto film, assembling a group of professionals with the dedication and vision needed to overcome many obstacles has been a five-year undertaking with many miracles helping along the way. Miracles were needed to assist the struggle of accomplishing so grand a task.

Five years ago he thought about how to present her story, got some money, planned, tapped expert artistic talent, got some more money; found professionals in the big studios willing to lend a hand, got some more money; searched for the key artist, the young woman who would bring Thérèse to life on the screen. He found her in his own backyard, a high school girl in Oregon whose simple, sweet, soft beauty could bring Thérèse to life for us today.

As God will have it for projects He is rooting for, things fell into place when they needed to, the picture is now made, the music wraps its arms around it perfectly, and everyone who has seen previews of the film tells of a remarkable experience, a beautiful interlude, of leaving the chaos of our world and entering a gentle time where one learns the simple way Thérèse found for living in profound joy for God. All that is now left for the filmmaker is the launching. For Leonardo Defilippis, an artist, this is the hard part. What he knows and does so well is over. Now the practical needs doing. $2 million are needed to distribute Thérèse, and the October 1 premier is so close we can mark our calendars.

But Hollywood works by the numbers, and it’s the numbers they require to distribute Thérèse. Las Vegas needs 17,000 signatures. How can you help?

Go to the web site as often as possible—the Hollywood number crunchers are counting hits. If you haven’t already signed a petition in your parish, call your parish and ask where you can find the signature form. Call the Marian Center for a form. Get all you know who love joy and truth and beauty and want it in their lives and the lives of their loved ones, their neighbors, to sign a pledge to see the movie when it comes to Las Vegas (please, God). Send a donation to Luke Films—dollars add up to thousands of dollars, and you will know for the rest of your life that you were a part of the last $2 million needed to present a saint to this sad world, a heroine for our children, a real young woman who found the only key to true happiness, a girl to be admired and emulated.

All the noise, all the confusion, all the jostling for worldly goods and success and place in this world will be shut away for two hours, while quiet strength, true beauty and joy will take over our minds and hearts and give us rest. A thought may be planted in the mind of your child, truth will peak through, the thought that happiness is found in ways other than what media hawked all around endlessly tell us. We and our children may learn in those two hours with Thérèse that we already are the most popular, the most beautiful, the most sought after person on the planet—by Jesus Christ, the only critic who matters. Last bit of news from Leonardo from our supper last Thursday is that just that day in talking with his cohorts back in Oregon about the reception he got in Las Vegas, a brand new thought occurred to them —perhaps Las Vegas is the place to launch Thérèse! They were so bowled over by the faith community they found in our diocese that our city is now being considered for the premier showing in October! 

Our time, talent, prayers and love can make it happen—for us here and for the world.

Saint Luke Productions
P. O. Box 761
Beaverton, Oregon 97075
800-683-2998; 503-524-7760
www.theresemovie.com