.- The Catholic Association has launched the Bella for Life project to use the new movie's pro-life themes to encourage and expand pro-life activities around the nation.
Bella is a film about a New York City waitress who struggles with an unexpected pregnancy and the friend who helps her through her hardship. The movie won top honors at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival and it will soon be shown in 26 U.S. cities one week from today.
Michael Hernon, president of The Catholic Association, believed the movie provides a pro-life role model. "The main actor in Bella reaches out to a woman in a troubled pregnancy and becomes a "lifeguard". This is the subtle but very powerful message of life, hope and the power we all have to change people's lives. Bella for Life will be trying to build a new army of lifeguards for our world," he said.
US Representative Christopher Smith and his wife have endorsed the movie in a letter. "Bella is a movie we have seen, enjoyed, enthusiastically support, and welcome in the ongoing struggle to change hearts and minds on abortion. ...It is a message of hope, love, and life that can save lives. In fact, it already has," they wrote.
Bella for Life will use its website www.bellaforlife.org and other media to connect people to their local pregnancy center. Mr. Hernon encouraged parishes and Catholic groups to use the movie as an opportunity to spread the gospel of life.
The movie will have a limited release beginning Friday, October 26. The movie will be more broadly available only if attendance is high at its initial screenings. Locations for initial screenings are reported on the movie’s website at http://www.bellathemovie.com
