“Entering a cinema is like crossing a threshold. In the darkness and silence, vision becomes sharper, the heart opens up and the mind becomes receptive to things not yet imagined… In the present era, there is a need for witnesses of hope, beauty and truth. Good cinema and those who create and star in it have the power to recover the authenticity of imagery in order to safeguard and promote human dignity. Do not be afraid to confront the world’s wounds. Violence, poverty, exile, loneliness, addiction and forgotten wars are issues that need to be acknowledged and narrated. Good cinema does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it. This is what all the great directors have done. Giving voice to the complex, contradictory and sometimes dark feelings that dwell in the human heart is an act of love. Art must not shy away from the mystery of frailty; it must engage with it and know how to remain before it. Without being didactic, authentically artistic forms of cinema possess the capacity to educate the audience’s gaze.” – Pope Leo XIV, Address to the members of the World of Cinema, November 15, 2025
Cinema with the Shepherd 2026
Join us for our second year of “Cinema with the Shepherd”: Bishop Bullock’s annual film festival! This year’s slate of films will feature films from the “Vatican 45 Notable Films.” The Pontifical Council for Social Communications released a list of 45 films in 1995 to mark the centennial of Auguste and Louis Lumière’s display of their films. The films were chosen by an expert group, and Pope St. John Paul II recommended that these films be watched.
Each month, the film will be viewed at a common gathering in St. Joseph Hall in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rapid City. A viewing guide will also be available on the diocesan website to provide some background and some discussion questions to inform how one might view the film critically. Then, at the “in-person” viewing, I will facilitate a discussion once the viewing of the film is concluded. We expect to film both the introduction and the post-film discussion, which will also be available for viewing at a later date. Because some might not be able to travel to Rapid City to see the film, I hope that these on-line resources will assist a critical viewing at other times and locations — all the films are available through streaming video services or other home video delivery methods.
All viewings will begin at 6:30 pm in St. Joseph Hall at the Cathedral in Rapid City. To defer the cost of the viewings, a free-will offering is encouraged, and to enhance the viewing experience, refreshments will be available, the proceeds from which will support various groups in the Cathedral Parish community. We hope to see you there!
Looking for video and resources from 2025? Visit the 2025 Cinema Page here.
January 29, 2026—The Mission (1986)
Deep in the jungles of South America two men bring civilization to a native tribe. Now, after years of struggle together, they find themselves on opposite sides in a dramatic fight for the natives’ independence. One will trust in the power of prayer. One will believe in the might of the sword.
February 19, 2026—Stagecoach (1939)
A simple stagecoach trip is complicated by the fact that Geronimo is on the warpath in the area. The passengers on the coach include a drunken doctor, two women, a bank manager who has taken off with his client’s money, and the famous Ringo Kid, among others.
March 26, 2026—Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc) (1927)
Reviewers say ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ is celebrated for its innovative close-ups, emotional intensity, and pioneering silent film techniques. Renée Falconetti’s performance is lauded for its subtlety and expressiveness. The film delves into themes of faith, power, and human spirit, contrasting Joan’s purity with her accusers’ corruption. Critics praise Dreyer’s meticulous direction and the film’s historical significance. Some find the silent format and close-ups challenging, yet it remains a landmark in cinematic achievement.
April 30, 2026—Ordet (1955)
How do we understand faith and prayer, and miracles? On a Danish farm in 1925, the widowed patriarch Borgen, who’s rather prominent in his community, has three sons: Mikkel, a good-hearted agnostic whose wife Inger is pregnant, Johannes, who believes he is Jesus, and Anders, young, slight, and in love with the tailor’s daughter. The fundamentalist sect of the girl’s father is an anathema to Borgen’s traditional Lutheranism; he opposes the marriage until the tailor forbids it; then Borgen’s pride demands that it happen. Unexpectedly, Inger, the family’s joy and light, has problems with her pregnancy. The rational doctor arrives, and a long night brings into sharp focus at least four views of faith.
May 14, 2026—On the Waterfront (1954)
An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate’s victims.
June 25, 2026—Babette’s Feast (Babettes Gæstebud) (1987)
In a remote 19th-century Danish village, two sisters lead a rigid life centered around their father, the local minister, and their church. Both had opportunities to leave the village: one could have married a young army officer and the other, a French opera singer. Their father objected in each case, and they spent their lives caring for him. Many years later – their father now deceased – they take in a French refugee, Babette Hersant, who agrees to work as their servant.
August 6, 2026—La Strada (1954)
Sad story of a waif, Gelsomina, who is sold by her mother to Zampano for 10,000 lire and a few kilos of food. Zampano is a traveling showman who exhibits feats of strength by breaking a chain wrapped around his chest. He performs in village squares and then passes the hat for whatever the normally small crowd is prepared to give. They eventually join a small traveling circus where they meet a tight-rope walker who convinces Gelsomina to question her choices.
September 1, 2026—Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette) (1948)
Antonio Ricci, an unemployed man in the depressed post-WWII economy of Italy, finally gets a job hanging up posters, but he needs a bicycle. When his bicycle is stolen, he and his son walk the streets of Rome looking for it.
October 27, 2026—Burmese Harp (Biruma no tategoto) (1956)
Mizushima is a soldier in the Japanese army in Burma in World War II. He’s a good soldier and frequently plays his harp to entertain his fellow soldiers. When the war comes to an end, he is asked by the British to go into the mountains to try and convince a Japanese troop to surrender. He travels the countryside burying the remains of Japanese soldiers.
November 3, 2026—The Wizard of Oz (1939)
When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, are whisked away from their house to the magical Land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and on the way, they meet a Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Tin Man who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage.
December 1, 2026—It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
A young George Bailey, overwhelmed by family obligations and a sense of responsibility toward his community, feels tied down to a company he never had an interest in working for, and a life he never wanted to live. As he ages, he sees his youth, dreams and opportunities passing him by.
