Aegina, Greece, September 18, 2020
L to R: Director Yelena Popovic, Abbess Timothea, actor Alexander Petrov. Photo: saronicmagazine.gr
“In the absolute silence of midday under the pine of the saint in his monastery, only the cicadas with their monotonous song interrupt the shooting of the movie Man of God, which is dedicated to the life of St. Nektarios,” writes the Greek outlet Saronic Magazine.
Filming on Yelena Popovic’s Man of God began on June 8. A second round of shooting in Greece then began in early September, including the scene where Hollywood legend Mickey Rourke plays a paralyzed man who was healed by the great wonderworking saint.
Most recently, the production moved to Holy Trinity Monastery on the island of Aegina, built by St. Nektarios himself and the home of his precious relics, Sardonic Magazine reported on Wednesday.
Mother Timothea, who was installed as abbess of the monastery just over a year ago, watched on a monitor as Greek actor Aris Servetalis, in the role of St. Nektarios, and Russian actor Alexander Petrov, in the role of an assistant to the saint, acted out one of the last scenes in the saint’s room, which has been preserved in the monastery.
Shooting will be completed in Athens in the coming days.
On Tuesday, Mickey Rourke visited the monastery. He also visited the Church of St. Nektarios in Kamariza. According to Briefing News, he was very moved, weeping as he entered the church. He was left alone in the church for a long time, with prayer rope in hand. The church is home to the relics of Elder Nektarios (Vitalis), who was miraculously healed by St. Nektarios in 1980.
In a recent interview, Rourke spoke about his faith, his experience with miracles, and why he accepted a role in Man of God.
The film is being shot in honor of the 100th anniversary of St. Nektarios’ repose, and according to Popovic’s calculations, it is set to be released in December.
