Irish audiences have given a ‘tremendous’ welcome to Bella, the movie with a powerful pro-life message which has won a clutch of awards in the US and Canada. The auditorium in Maynooth was packed for the showing of the independent film with students and guests standing, sitting on steps and sharing seats in order to get a view. ‘We opened to a good crowd last night in DCU,’ said Carolyn Johnston of Ultrasound, the Youth Defence student affiliate who are promoting Bella. ‘ But tonight we’re packed out and demand for showings are flying in. It’s proving a smash hit!’

The audiences loved the film, and Ultrasound have received numerous requests from other colleges, youth groups, churches, and community centres for permission to show the film. ‘We’re in UCD next, and then we’re looking at at least 6 other venues before we go to schools and churches who have requested showings,’ said Carolyn Johnston. ‘We’re delighted with the response; really pleased’. She added that the film had prompted many of the young attendees to sign up to participate in Ultrasound pro-life activities between ‘now and the end of the student year in May.’

Bella became a runaway success after it received the people’s choice award at the Toronto film festival last year and was accepted by many film theatres even though it didn’t have a major distributor. In a short talk after the screening, Bryan Kemper of the US pro-life group, Stand True, explained how Eduardo Verastegui, who has the starring male part in Bella, stood outside abortion mills to see how women were reacting both before and after going into the abortion mills. He said that one woman recognised Eduardo (who is a well known music and film star in Mexico) and after talking to him and discussing his reasons for being there she changed her mind and kept her child.

‘This movie has a positive life affirming message and it is all the more powerful for not being didactic,’ said Kemper, who said he fell in love with the film makers passion and pro-life commitment when he decided to help promote the film.

Source : Irish Family News

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