A thriller about the election of a pope draws crowds at the Rome film festival near the Vatican

ROME (AP) — With Pope Francis just weeks away from his 88th birthday, the conspiracy for his successor at the Vatican is in full swing.

So how current is that right at the other end of the city of Rome: “ conclave “A thriller full of conniving, manipulative cardinals who quickly throw morals to the wind in the promotion of their candidate is a top draw at the Rome Film Festival.”

For Pope Francis, this is perhaps a little too narrow in the truest sense of the word.

The Austrian-Swiss director Edward Berger, who directed “All Quiet in the West” (2022), adapted the film from Robert Harris’ 2016 novel “Conclave.” Berger casts an extraordinary Ralph Fiennes in the role of the cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the dean of the College of Cardinals, who is responsible for organizing the conclave.

The conclave is the centuries-old tradition in which cardinals gather in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel after the death of a pope to take part in rounds of voting until they elect a new pope. The conclave comes from the Latin word “cum clave,” meaning “with a key,” meaning the cardinals are locked up until they elect the new leader for the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

The entire trial takes place under the spectacular frescoed ceiling by Michelangelo, and his masterpiece “The Last Judgment,” depicting the fate of people on the way to heaven or hell, covers the wall behind the altar. During the entire process, the prelates are cut off from communication with the outside world and must live in seclusion in the Vatican.

Conclaves have a reputation for being a no-holds-barred competition, with cardinals making backroom deals to elect their favorites in secret ballots.

At the end of each voting round, ballots are thrown into a specially designed oven in the Sistine Chapel, with a chemical added that colors the smoke.

The tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square waiting for the result will know from the smoke rising from the chimney whether a new pope has been elected or not. Black means that the cardinals have not yet elected a pope, white means that a new pope has been elected.

In ” conclave “Stanley Tucci plays Aldo Bellini, a progressive American cardinal who fights against powerful conservative Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco, played by Sergio Castellitto, and Canadian Cardinal Joseph Tremblay, played by John Lithgow. Nigerian Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi, played by Lucian Msamati, could become the first black pope, but his homophobic views are at odds with progressives.

While women remain excluded from the conclave and the highest levels of power in the Vatican, they provide assistance in carrying out modest tasks in the service of the cardinals during the conclave period. Isabella Rossellini plays a nun who surprises in her role as a silent observer who never misses a trick.

Although it is a thriller, the film often comes close to the real events and current debates in the Vatican. As the film's stars strolled the red carpet, some wondered how the film would be viewed in the Vatican.

“It's fascinating. Are they sitting there in the Vatican watching the coverage of the 'conclave'?” said actor Fiennes. “I’m sure there are a few people in the Vatican who would be curious to see what the film says.”

Despite his age and serious health problems, including a bad knee that has forced him to use a wheelchair, Pope Francis doesn't seem to be slowing down. In August, he undertook his longest and most demanding journey ever, traveling by plane to four countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This month he chaired the synod, a three-week meeting of more than 360 bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the church.

But Francis is not immortal. Discussions about who could be his successor have already begun, but it remains to be seen whether the next real conclave will be as exciting as the film.