BMQ Magazin
Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz
The Swiss artist Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz is a film and theatre actress and producer with more than 30 years of professional experience in front of and behind the camera.
As part of her work, she and her husband made the 100% non-profit film “Mother Teresa & Me.” This humanitarian feature film tells the story of Mother Teresa and the young Indian woman Kavita, and of peace and justice. All the proceeds from the film support the poorest children, through the Zariya Foundation, in the areas of education and healthcare—starting in India, where Mother Teresa built her mission.
The foundation for this moving film was laid when Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz first traveled to Mumbai. As she drove through the city to visit the Bollywood studios, street children gathered around her taxi. They tapped on the window and offered her flowers, magazines, and toys to buy. Shocked by the poverty and misery staring back at her, the actress decided to take action.
A concrete cinematic vision was sparked by an image of Mother Teresa in one of the Bollywood studios. The producer there quickly noticed Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz’s resemblance to the nun, which is why she can now be seen as Mother Teresa in this multi-layered film. Together with Kamal Musale, the talented screenwriter, director, and producer, she resolved to make a film that would make a difference. In her work as the lead actress, she focused on the complexity of Mother Teresa—consciously portraying her in all her facets and also expressing her controversial sides. She skillfully uses her talent for inhabiting different characters and, in yet another masterwork, showcases her acting craft.
MOTHER TERESA & ME
The film Mother Teresa & Me showcases two parallel stories interwoven across generations. Despite deep personal doubts, both women fulfill their calling. Mother Teresa’s (Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz) loss of faith inspires the free-spirited Kavita (Banita Sandhu), a young Briton of Indian origin in present-day Kolkata, to discover true love and compassion.
For Kavita, who lives in London, love is an illusion. Caught between an unfulfilling romantic relationship, her parents’ plans to marry her off according to Indian tradition, and an unexpected pregnancy, she is torn by inner conflict. Should she have an abortion or not?
Unable to take the radical medical step, Kavita decides to return to her birthplace to find comfort in the arms of Deepali (her now very elderly former nanny). Deepali (Deepti Naval) herself was taken in by Mother Teresa as a child when Teresa began working in the slums in 1948. As Deepali recounts the stories of her past, Kavita begins to relive the beginnings of Mother Teresa’s life in the slums of Kolkata.
For the young Mother Teresa, life changes dramatically when she hears the voice of Jesus. He commands her to work for the poor in the slums. She does not question this ordeal. Following the call, she turns her back on her former life and dedicates herself to the poor in the slums of Kolkata. After founding her new order, the Missionaries of Charity, Teresa can no longer hear the voice of her beloved Jesus. She feels increasingly abandoned by her beloved, her spouse, her guide… and begins to doubt the very existence of God. She loses her faith.
Teresa hid her torment behind a smiling face of devotion and lived with doubt for the rest of her life. Still, she continued her work with full dedication to the poorest of the poor – an act of faith in itself. She shared her loss in letters to confessors – letters published only after her death – letters that Kavita learns about in the present day. Mother Teresa’s story influences Kavita’s decision on how to move forward with her pregnancy, her life, her lovers, and her family. She discovers compassion and finds happiness.