Conclave director on how film’s twist ending puts "little crack" in Vatican patriarchy

After an assortment of scandalous revelations are made about several of the Cardinals in the running to be elected new Pope, the previously little known Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) is eventually elected, but before he accepts the role he goes to Ralph Fiennes' Cardinal Lawrence with a surprising secret.

He reveals to Lawrence that although he had been assigned male at birth, a recent appendectomy had revealed that he also had a uterus and ovaries and that he had chosen to keep his female organs because "I am as God made me".

Rather than exposing this secret, Lawrence agrees to stay silent and continue with the process of making Benitez pope – an act with director Edward Berger told RadioTimes.com "put a little crack" in the Vatican patriarchy.

Speaking about handling the material sensitively, Berger explained: "It's a big topic in our world, in the movie, within all kind of political factions. But also I want to, sort of, take our attention away from religion, because, in essence, it's a political thriller behind closed doors.

"It could take place in Washington, DC, it just happens to take place in the Vatican, you know. So it's really like a thriller with lots of twists and turns that surprise you, including the one that you're mentioning."

Read more:

• Ralph Fiennes: 'Conclave isn't a cynical takedown of the Catholic church'
• Conclave review: Ralph Fiennes is imperious in this finely-scripted papal thriller

He added: "And you know, I wanted it to not to be like a big sort of revealed twist, and all of us go, 'Wow, what happened? 'It's one of many. Every character has one, and this character has one as well in the very end.

"And I think it's interesting in today's world, especially in the world of one of the oldest patriarchies in the world, to sort of put a little crack in it and see what the future could look like.”

Conclave is released in UK cinemas on Friday 29th November 2024.

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