A new Mother Teresa documentary is long overdue in film for the vast amount of misinformation circulating around the figure in the globalsphere.
The film opens with Mother Teresa stating that hunger is not simply about wanting a loaf of bread but also a hunger for love, despite newsreel footage showing her aiding and meeting people. People yearn for respect and dignity, she continues, and she points out that the man who is lying in the street is a child of God. Then, several people who knew her talked about how she had a "commanding presence" around her.
They claim that she exhibited holiness and simplicity. The following section of the film introduces the different Catholic charities for "the poorest of the poor" that Mother Teresa founded and encouraged, starting with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. She worked for many years as a teacher and headmistress in a school in Calcutta run by her order, the Sisters of Loreto, before starting that charity in 1950.
The filmmakers visit some of these charities while traveling the globe. These visits are interspersed with some silent historical portrayals of Mother Teresa's life. Historical videos of Mother Teresa in Calcutta and other locations where one of her charities has been established are also presented. A video of her with Pope John Paul II, a fervent fan, is also presented. There are certain aspects of Mother Teresa that are taken as absolute facts online when they lack the context of Mother Teresa's work and beliefs.
Much of these characterizations are based on Hitchens' documentary "Hell's Angel" and his book "The Missionary Position," neither of which is academic and is a hit piece that, like a telephone game, has grown more absurd online. This is not intended to be a defense or vindication of Teresa; rather, it is intended to add some much-needed nuance and assess some bad-faith approaches to the issues.
I was raised Catholic and spent my childhood idolizing Mother Teresa. I also understood how our culture's toxicity could be used to tarnish someone's reputation in order to promote some sort of hidden political agenda. Finally, after all of the negative press, an opportunity to tell the story from a sociological standpoint. In terms of production, they did a marvelous job on allowing facts to narrate the entire film. Sean Beeson, the composer added a much needed musical scores that were graceful and endearing in various scenes throughout the documentary.
"No Greater Love" is a moving documentary about Mother Teresa, unapologetic yet humbled, compelled by love. A one-liner crusader out to restore humanity's faith in God.
The Muse
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