When a pope dies, cardinals younger than 80 gather at the Vatican to elect his successor in what is known as a conclave. Recent papal elections have offered glimpses of this highly secretive process by allowing television cameras to capture some of the pomp and prayers leading up to the voting. Edward Berger’s new drama, “Conclave,” which opens Friday, catapults audiences back inside the Sistine Chapel for a cinematically rare, if fictionalized, peek at the confidential electoral proceedings of the Roman Catholic Church. Re“Ancient rituals clashing with modernity,” Berger said, describing the film in a video interview. “It’s all politics in the end,” said Robert Harris, who wrote the 2016 novel on which Peter Straughan based his screenplay.

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Persons: Edward Berger’s, ” Berger, Ralph Fiennes, Lawrence, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, ”, Robert Harris, Peter Straughan Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, College of Cardinals