“I am a pencil in the hand of God, who is writing a love letter to the world.” ~ Mother Teresa
I have a confession to make. Not being raised Catholic, I knew nothing, or very little about Mother Teresa, that is until I learned about The Letters film project and had the opportunity to interview the film’s screenwriter-director, William “Bill” Riead.
My 90-minute conversation with Riead began by learning that the film is about the epic life and times of one, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, born of Albanian descent, but known to the world, and lovingly embraced as Mother Teresa.
Inspiration, Riead claims, to make The Letters came from viewing famed filmmaker, Richard Attenborough’s box office mega hit, Gandhi. In a Parade.Com article celebrating World Kindness Day on 11-13-15, he stated: “The film effected change and had a profound effect on me. And 9/11 which affected all of us. I wanted to make a film about the polar opposite of that evil—a film that would matter. The best example of good I could think of was Mother Teresa.
The movie became a labor of love and a real passion for me over the last 14 years because of Mother Teresa’s lasting impact on all of our lives. I remember seeing how film can truly effect change and make this a better world. I wanted to make that kind of film—a film that would have lasting impact on the lives of the people who saw it.”
Riead sent me a copy of the screenplay. When it arrived, it was like experiencing the magic of Disneyland for the first time; being filled with wonder as to what magnificence may appear just beyond its alluring gate. I settled back in my chair and read Bill’s well crafted script and was readily engaged in his finely detailed reflections on the life3 of this amazing person known as Mother Teresa. I could visualize a servant’s life; it was like walking hand-in-hand with Bill through the pages of his script.
The story was taken from three storage trunks and some boxes filled with letters she had written to her spiritual advisor and longtime friend, Father Celeste van Exem. Those heart and soul infused, hand-written epistles spanned the last forty plus years of her life and sorrowfully expressed the darkness and isolation she experienced in what she would relate as an “abandonment from God.” That invasive darkness seemed far too much to bear at times, from the selfless choice she made to serve with God’s favor.
I was taken by her noble commitment of sacrifice from receiving God’s call, along with her faith-filled courageous, compassionate heart as she aided the impoverished living in the ghettos of Calcutta, India. Her spirit, guided by a passion to serve in obedience to God’s call, ultimately led the world to take notice—on October 27, 1979, Mother Teresa was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in founding the Missionaries of Charity.
Eighteen years later, at the time of her passing in 1997, the order she was called to start, had grown to more than 4,000 sisters running hospices, charity centers and orphanages, which are found today in 256 countries around the world. Mother Teresa, the Albanian born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, is revered throughout the world, as one of the greatest, most cherished humanitarians of all time.
“The Letters is the true life story of this selfless, compassionate woman who walked the earth during our lifetime. It depicts her courage, her tenacity, and such great accomplishments of mankind, beyond anything anyone could have imagined coming from a humble nun from Albania, who chose to live her life in the ghettos of India. Though the public saw her as a cheerful person who went about doing her good works quietly and with a happy smile, audiences around the world will discover that she was far more than that. Theater goers will come away with the feeling that her example, as seen in our film, will light the spirit of mankind. It will, without question, bring people closer together. It is the goal of this film to bring Mother Teresa back to life, back to the collective consciousness, and share with the world her example that she was truly a pencil in the hand of God, writing a love letter to the world.” ~ William Riead
Following her death at age eighty-seven in 1997, the story takes up and casts its revealing light into the lesser known aspects of Mother Teresa’s life, as seen through the eyes of a Vatican priest tasked with the duty of investigating her life’s day-to-day occurrences.
The Letters was honored by winning Best Picture and Audience Choice Award at the 2014 Sedona International Film Festival, and further honored as having Best Director and Best Leading Actress at the Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival in Rome.
The movie was filmed in the United Kingdom and India, stars the highly acclaimed four-time BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award) nominated British Actress, Juliet Stevenson, as Mother Teresa; two-time Academy Award Nominee Max Van Sydow, and Golden Globe winner, Rutger Hauer. Newcomer Priya Darshini, portrays Shubashini Das, the first to arrive in support of Mother Teresa, and her new order of the Missionaries of Charity.
“There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways.” ~ Mother Teresa
The film’s leading lady, Juliet Stevenson, is a highly respected and accomplished English actress possessing a well traveled film and television career. Americans may know of her from her great 
supporting role in the acclaimed 2002 movie, Bend it Like Beckham, a comedy about bending the rules to reach your goal, and a feature film which grossed over 32 million domestically. That same year, she also won the AFI—Australian Film Institute Award—for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama for The Road from Coorain. Juliet keeps her thespian’s skills well honed with jaunts back and forth across the pond, where her versatility shines with live stage theater performances, and hidden away from the see all, prying eye of the camera lens.
Juliet Stevenson is absolutely wonderful as Mother Teresa, hitting every note just right in her performance, which is a nuanced performance ranging between humility and servanthood to grit and relentless faith. ~ Edwin L. Carpenter: The Dove Foundation
In a March 15 article in The Observer earlier this year, Juliet Stevenson related that she was unprepared for the adulation she received while filming The Letters in the slums of Calcutta: “I was filming in her iconic white sari with the blue stripes. People would come up to me, drop and touch my hem… in India, she’s still revered. She lifted tens of thousands of people off the streets and into her care. She kept going in spite of her personal feelings. She kept her faith alive and she went on doing the work she did in the name of God.”
Riead, whose goal was to bring Mother Teresa back to life related of his lead actress: “Juliet has brought Mother Teresa back to life. That’s why the Indian people… were responding to her the way they were.”
When considering what actor would be capable of accurately depicting Father van Exem in a supporting role as the elder priest in the film, it was critical for Riead and his producers to cast a principal supporting actor that could drive the story dynamically through expression and powerful narrative. There was only one highly accomplished actor that came to mind who could authentically portray Father van Exem, and it was decided that this actor’s older priest portrayal in The Exorcist, was the acting icon who could pull it off—Max von Sydow is a two-time Academy Award nominee who is still very much sought after by the mainstream directors of Hollywood.
In the 2010 psycho-thriller Shutter Island, Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese cast him alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. In Robin Hood, legendary director Ridley Scott cast him with Russell Crowe. Gene Shalit, the long time television critic stated on ABC’s Good Morning America that “Max von Sydow steals every scene he’s in with Russell Crowe.”
Max von Sydow has received numerous rave reviews for his performances in both films, adding to a long list of accolades earned over his fifty-plus year career. In securing his second Academy Award nomination, von Sydow starred alongside Oscar winning actors Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. You will also see him in the hit television series Game of Thrones, and soon to be released Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
Von Sydow says it was the script that brought him to The Letters. Bill Riead and his production members were elated and honored to have been able to lure such an internationally acclaimed acting legend to portray Father van Exem.
To this, casting another great character actor in the person of Rutger Hauer to compliment the film’s storytelling alongside von Sydow and Stevenson, adds even greater dynamic value to the project. In the film, he portrays Vatican priest, Father Benjamin Praagh. Rutger Hauer’s legendary performance in Blade Runner stands out as one of the all time great presentations in film, and made him one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in the entertainment industry. As a great honor, due to his world-recognized fame, his image resides handsomely on a postage stamp in his native Holland.
Hauer has a reputation of being quite reclusive, and will only accept a part when he truly desires to be cast in a film—as he has with The Letters. Rutger Hauer’s presence in any film is a grand accomplishment for any filmmaker. His lofty status facilitates the opening of theater screens throughout Western Europe.
To capture The Letters accomplished acting troupe on film as best as he could, Bill Riead was fortunate to have enticed legendary cinematographer/director of photography Jack N. Green, to bring his cinematic genius to work on this epic biopic. Green’s film and television resume is impeccably star-crossed, being among the best to have ever worked within the industry. He has been a thirty year collaborator with Academy Award winning director and legendary actor, Clint Eastwood.
The two met in 1977 during the filming of The Gauntlet. Jack was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for best cinematography in shooting Clint’s high grossing box office smash, the 1992 revisionist western, Unforgiven. He was also honored as a nominee for the ASC—American Society of Cinematographers Award—for another well received Eastwood picture with the 1995 film, The Bridges of Madison County. Jack Green was the Director of Photography on one of my favorite films from 2003 that starred Robert Duval, Michael Caine and Haley Joel Osment: Second Hand Lions.
On February 9, 2008, his longtime friend and collaborator, Clint Eastwood presented Jack with the ASC’s Lifetime Achievement Award during its 23rd Annual Anniversary celebrating its Outstanding Achievement Award ceremony gala event in Beverly Hills. What followed was a three-minute standing ovation given by his peers. As in kind with the cast, it was the script that consummated the agreement with Jack to sign on as cinematographer for the project, and he eagerly flew with cast and crew to London to film part one of The Letters.
The footage he shot on location was so beautifully filmed that Riead and production staff is convinced that Jack N. Green will likely garner another Oscar nomination. His most recent work from touching his creative hand within the Christian faith-based viewing audience was done with last year’s apocalyptic thriller film Left Behind, which starred Nicolas Cage. Jack Green has been a well respected and highly touted member of the American Society of Cinematographers since 1992.
The Letters was executive produced by Corky Barton and Lourden Saks, and produced by Colin Azzopardi, Tony Cordeaux, and Lisa Riead. The film debuts in theaters nationwide on December 4th, through Freestyle Releasing. It is is family friendly with its inviting PG rating, and further honored when it received a glowing “5 Dove” Faith-Friendly Seal rating of approval for ages twelve plus, from Christian film reviewer, The Dove Foundation.
From Bill Riead graciously opening his filmmaker’s door in allowing my interview, and from what I came to learn about Mother Teresa, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be in attendance with family and friends to watch The Letters biopic when it opens on Friday, December 4th.
Hope you will be, too!
To view the official trailer, visit http://thelettersmovie.com/videos.html or www.cinemawestfilms.com
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