Conclave offers a glimpse inside the process of choosing a pope

In the coming days cardinals younger than 80 will assemble at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis.

- TALYA MINSBERG

The proceedings, veiled in secrecy, come months after a fictionalised papal election received the Hollywood treatment in Edward Berger’s drama Conclave. The film’s name comes from the secretive conference where Roman Catholic cardinals choose the next leader of the church.

The film, which made US$115 million (3.8 billion baht) at the global box office, offers a glimpse inside a process that in real life takes place under strict security measures to ensure confidentiality. The movie was “quite accurate, save for a few things” said Kurt Martens, a professor of canon law at the Catholic University of America.

Conclave has been widely celebrated, receiving top prizes at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the EE British Academy Film Awards, and winning the Academy Award for adapted screenplay.

Here's what happens in the film (caution: minor spoilers ahead) and what papal experts say is accurate about it.

What's the movie Conclave about?

The film opens with the death of an unidentified fictional pope and follows the process and drama of a papal election.

It stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, dean of the College of Cardinals, with Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati and Sergio Castellitto playing top papal contenders.