The BBC has granted permission for its 1969 documentary on Mother Teresa to be screened in an upcoming film festival on the nun in India.

Media reports in India last week said the BBC was silent about requests to include Something Beautiful for God, the first-ever documentary on Mother Teresa for the Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF).

The Aug. 26-29 festival will be held in Kolkata.

Correspondence manager James Holton from the BBC Director General’s Office recently wrote to festival director Sunil Lucas saying that BBC “does not have any objection” to the screening.

However the BBC “has a duty to remain impartial and must not be seen to be endorsing” the festival, Holton said.

“This indeed is a great service to the people of Kolkata who have never had the opportunity to see the 1st film ever made on the ‘mother’ of the city,” Lucas told ucanews.com.

Although the official screening schedule has already been drawn up, “we will try to squeeze in a special screening of the film during the event for the media and the Missionaries of Charity Sisters,” Lucas said.

The BBC production is said to have made Mother Teresa internationally known. After it was shown on television in England, donations poured in. Many viewers said it had a “profound effect” on their lives.

The BBC film crew came to Calcutta and spent five days with Mother Teresa for the 58-minute film.

Related reports
India won´t part with Blessed Teresa´s remains
Yearlong centenary celebrations for Blessed Teresa begin
Buddhists, Catholics draw inspiration from Blessed Teresa

IE10900.1615