Roughly a year after the canonization of Carlo Acutis — the first millennial saint — an authorized documentary about him is set to premiere worldwide.
“Carlo Acutis: The Young Saint” premiered at the Vatican Film Library on Sept. 29. The documentary, featuring never-before-seen footage of Acutis’ life and family, also marks the 20th anniversary of his death from leukemia in 2006.
From home videos to photos of his pilgrimages to sites such as Rome, Milan, and Fátima, the film, according to a press release, will convey the impact of Carlo’s message and his relatable holiness.
The documentary will be shown in Italian theaters from Oct. 15–21 before premiering in Europe and then in North America in February 2027.
‘Carlo still works miracles in a world no longer interested in God’
Among those present at the Vatican for the screening was Carlo’s mother, Antonia Salzano Acutis. Speaking to EWTN News on the sidelines after the screening, she reflected on the impact of Carlo’s 2025 canonization. Antonia described his legacy as proving that God exists in a world where he is often forgotten.
“In todayʼs world, it almost seems as if faith has become something obsolete: People are distant, technology is idolized to the extreme, as though people no longer care about God,” she told EWTN News. “Carlo, on the other hand, calls us back to eternal life and reminds us of the truth that God exists.”
She also spoke on the comfort of seeing the impact of her son’s intercession worldwide, particularly after his death 20 years ago.
“Carlo used to say, ‘We will all climb Golgotha sooner or later, wonʼt we?’ But he also said that a good life isnʼt necessarily a long life; it is a life where one truly manages to put God first,” she recounted.
“Many parents unfortunately lose their children, because some go earlier and some go later. But seeing everything happening now is certainly a powerful witness to my own faith, because I can genuinely see how the Lord works through Carlo.”
Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis together with Pier Giorgio Frassati on Sept. 7, 2025.
“I Am With You,” an EWTN special documentary about Carlo’s life, is available to watch online.