The Papal Chase

Winner of the Best Canadian Film Award at the Whistler Film Festival, The Papal Chase follows director Kenny Hotz's hilarious quest to meet the Pope. When a friend bets him $1,000 he can't meet the Pope during his 2001 visit to Toronto, Hotz accepts, figuring it will be an easy task. He soon discovers fake press credentials and charm can only get you so close to the world's most heavily guarded person. An irreverent story of faith, obsession, and one man's devout attempt to win the toughest bet of his life, The Papal Chase is as provocative as it is farcical.

Disguised in persona's that include a Brazilian priest, a gay Hispanic DJ, and Satan himself, Hotz ( Pitch , CBC's Kenny Vs. Spenny ) stretches the limits of freedom of speech during the 2001 World Youth Day celebrations, talking his way through millions of zealous pilgrims, annoyed cops, suspicious security guards, ominous snipers, and the international media. With a light touch, Hotz examines such issues as the power of faith and the existence of God. Absurd, hysterical, and often contentious, you can't help but pull for this self-proclaimed "Pope-arazzi" to come face to face with the closest man to God.

-Andrew Gurney

This is the guy from "Kenny vs. Spenny" He is a nice guy even though he is a star, i met him at the WFF. His film Papal Chase is an insane documentary about an atheist man who tries to meet Pope John Paul II it was named best Canadian film in December at the Whistler Film Festival. His film was shot during the Pope's visit in Toronto for World Youth Day. Hotz turns into a numerous funny characters. He gets run over during the papal mass by a golf cart, targeted by police snipers and chased by Vatican security. The doc is an indie masterpiece, very anti-establishment and unique. It was supposedly made on a US$800 budget, reports the Hollywood Reporter. I think his films are much more profound that Moore or Broomfield, his work does not have a moral message like most of the auteur documentations. Hotz is dynamically quick witted and smart. The movie is funny very very funny. In one scene a young teen takes his shirt off and shows his muscles to Hotz, who is pretending (and dressed like)a leather man gay reporter from a radio station. I'm not joking when I say that I almost died from laughing. Unlike most Canadian films. His content is very stylistic has an American sense of entertaining. Hotz's documented biblical adventure is hilariously funny, deep, intellectual, shocking and well put together. The film has a Dogma characteristic yet Hotz derives his adventure and humor with a fast paced well executed delivery. My understanding of the film is it's depth of meaning and exposure. It focuses the audience on the intuition of corporate religion and the association it has with the people who are not in it's hypnotic grasp. I truly loved the film. The Mick Jagger cameo is also amazing.

The Papal Chase is a feature-length guerrilla documentary that captures one man's obsession to meet the Pope in order to win a bet. The Pope is visiting Canada and Kenny Hotz's friend has bet him $1,000 that he can't meet 'his holiness'. Kenny is a maniac, a non-believer, totally lacking any form of spirituality, he is overly determined to win the cash, but he has only six days to redeem himself. In his attempt to meet 'the most heavily guarded man in the world' Kenny becomes a Pope-arazzi, fighting his way through millions of pilgrims and onlookers, thousands of cops, security guards, Vatican Special Forces, precision snipers, the media and 2 million religious zealots.

Over the 6-day period, Kenny becomes slightly catholicised, beginning to search not only for the Pope, but an understanding of God. His religious quest is a fascinating glimpse into contemporary global faith and Papal celebrity. Hotz's irreverent, often confrontational style explores the limits of personal freedom and expression at the highly secure, international festival.

Armed with a fake press card, Kenny has undertaken a task of biblical proportions. Is it possible for some obsessed non-believer to meet the Pope?