Kolumban Reichlin, chaplain of the Swiss Guard: "Every day of his life, service to the Holy Father has priority for the Swiss Guard".The pontifical Swiss Guard. History, trade and curiosities
Jesús Garcés is the director of "Honor in Armor", a documentary produced by Rome Reports in which we can see the daily life of the members of the Swiss Guard. Through interviews and the opening of the historical archive of this military corps, Garcés opens to the viewer a whole world that takes place between Switzerland and the Vatican.
In this interview, the Mexican director explains the reasons why he decided to make this documentary and the importance of demystifying the elite corps that protects the Pope.
What motivated you to explore the history and work of the Swiss Guard in a documentary?
- I have lived in Rome for many years. One of the reasons I moved here is because of the beauty of this place. Living in the center of Rome, it is inevitable to come across the Vatican and, consequently, the Swiss Guard.
I have always wondered who these men are and I have watched many documentaries. Many told me what these people do, but no one told me who they are or where they come from. However, at the same time, there were many myths and legends about them. My curiosity stems from not knowing the origin of such an important iconography of the Catholic Church.
I spoke with the producer of Rome Reports and the possibility of making a documentary film about the Swiss Guard was born.
How was the research process to create this documentary?
- There is a team that was in charge of the investigation. They gave me access to a captain of the corps who answered all my questions. It was a very interesting process, because talking to those who are part of the Swiss Guard you realize that they are a military organization that has very old codes.
I was very surprised to find out how much training they have before joining the corps. The trainees come from the Swiss army, have a month of training in the Vatican and another month of training with the Swiss police. They come back knowing how to handle the most up-to-date souls, with hand-to-hand combat skills and a lot of psychology training. In fact, I would say that the Swiss Guards' best weapons are intelligence, psychology and the love they put into everything they do.
After filming the documentary, in which anecdotes from the past are told about members of this organization, how do you evaluate the history of the Swiss Guard?
- The Swiss Guard is a matter of very old tradition. We were fortunate to have been given access to the historical archives of the Swiss Guard in the heart of the The Vatican. When you go in there, you can see their past and their future. The future they have doesn't look easy, because the young people have lost a little bit of interest in that. vocation to protect the Pope, but work can be done to modernize and recover that illusion.
Traditionally, the Swiss Guard is seen as a very particular elite force. How would you like viewers to reconsider its role and image after watching the documentary?
- To tell a story you have to get intimate. Each member of the Swiss Guard in this documentary has a name, a story. They share their dreams, their childhood... They break through that wall of coldness we usually see.
In the documentary there are young people smiling, with inner peace, accompanied by their mothers, girlfriends, wives... The film includes the whole universe surrounding the Swiss Guard. In the feature film, we get to know the stories of these people and thus our perception changes, as we get to know the details of who they really are.
Why did you decide to close the documentary by showing a serious security breach?
- In reality, this is the life of the Swiss Guard. The dangers are constant and I tell the story of their intimacy, of their daily life, in which there is this constant danger that prevents them from being distracted. Closing the film in this way is a way of remembering that, even if the history and vocation of the Swiss Guard is beautiful, they must always be vigilant.
Below is the trailer of the documentary "Honor in armor":
