canticle, cross, dramas, john of the cross, leonardo defilippis, Movies, poem, poetry, Saints, spain, spanish saints, Spiritual, st. john, teresa of avila, the spiritual canticle 

Here is the intriguing story of the greatest poet that Spain has ever known, in a film that has the depth and beauty of a 16th century masterpiece. John's mystical poem, The Spiritual Canticle runs as a connecting thread through the piece, and the suspenseful story keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) joined the great Teresa of Avila in a renewal of the Carmelite order during the Golden Age of Spain. In Defilippis' warmly moving portrait, John is seen in his poverty-stricken childhood, and then as a young friar who becomes the leader of the reform with Teresa. As the tension of the drama heightens, he is kidnapped by his own religious brothers and imprisoned in a closet for nine torturous months. It is there that he composes much of his immortal poetry, and enters into a mystical union with God. His story will speak to all who long for peace and prayer in their turbulent lives.