International House Philadelphia will present a couple of free films in celebration of the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia. Both films are on the life of Pope Francis’ namesake, St. Francis of Assisi.

Roberto Rossellini’s 1950 classic, The Flowers of St. Francis will be shown on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:00 p.m., and Brother Sun, Sister Moon, a 1972 film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, will be presented on Thursday, Sept. 24, also at 7:00 p.m. Both films will be screened at International House’s Ibrahim Theater, 3701 Chestnut Street.

Guest speakers will introduce each film. On Sept. 19, Professor Stefania Benini will present The Flowers of St. Francis, a timeless and moving portrait of the search for spiritual enlightenment. Benini was Lauro De Bosis Fellow at Harvard University (2014-2015), after having been Assistant Professor of Italian at the University of Pennsylvania (2007-2014). Her research focus in Italian Studies involves the sacred, from literature to cinema and theatre. 

Leonard Guercio of Temple University will introduce Brother Sun, Sister Moon, which focuses on the early years of Francis of Assisi, and his own short film, The St. Nicholas of Tolentine Centennial Celebration on Sept. 24. The film was written and produced by Guercio and Peter Spina. Guercio works as the Manager of the Digital Cinema Lab in the TFMA Division of the Center for the Arts at Temple University.

For more information, visit www.ihousephilly.org/francis.