MANILA, Philippines — Edward Berger's 2024 film "Conclave" is getting a lot of viewership because of the ongoing papal election, including from the actual cardinals who are casting ballots.
The movie based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris of the same name revolves around a dramatized papal election, receiving praise for its near-accuracy of the voting process that takes place in the Sistine Chapel.
For the duration of the conclave, the College of Cardinals are sequestered in the famous chapel with Michelangelo's frescoes, cut off from the outside world until they elect one among them to be the next pope.
The actual voting has been done in secret for centuries as no cameras are allowed inside during the conclave proper.
With over 80% of the voting cardinals appointed by the last pontiff, Pope Francis, some of them have referred to "Conclave" as a source of additional research.
Related: First ballot: Black smoke signals no pope yet as conclave voting starts
One of the participating clerics admitted to Politico that some of his colleagues saw the movie in the cinema for guidance.
The cleric reiterated that cardinals find the film "remarkably accurate," which makes it a "helpful research tool," as many among them have little experience with Vatican politics and protocol.
"Conclave" received eight nominations at the most recent Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Berger, and Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed a fictional Dean of the College of Cardinals, the individual in charge of running the conclave.
Its sole win was Best Adapted Screenplay for Peter Straughan.
Recent events have seen a spike in viewership of "Conclave" in the last month alone.