The Papal Chase
Encyclopedia
The Papal Chase is a 2001 Canadian
feature-length guerrilla documentary
created by and starring Kenny Hotz
, of Kenny vs. Spenny
fame.
(Pope John Paul II
) is visiting Canada
, and Kenny Hotz's friend has bet him $1000
that Kenny (who is Jewish) can't meet him. The movie takes place over the course of six days in which Kenny attempts several times to meet the pope in order to win the bet. In his attempt to meet the man, Kenny does several things, including becoming a "Pope-arazzi", fighting his way through millions of pilgrims and onlookers, thousands of cops
, security guards, Vatican
Special Forces, precision sniper
s. There are cameos
by various members of The Rolling Stones
in the film. The film also features clips of Toronto mayoral candidate Kevin Clarke. The film won the best Canadian documentary award in 2004.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
feature-length guerrilla documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
created by and starring Kenny Hotz
Kenny Hotz
Kenneth Joel "Kenny" Hotz is an award-winning Canadian writer, director, actor, producer and photographer. He is a former South Park consultant/writer, creator/director/co-star of the Showcase and Comedy Central television show Kenny vs...
, of Kenny vs. Spenny
Kenny vs. Spenny
Kenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically...
fame.
Plot
The premise of this award winning documentary is that the PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
(Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
) is visiting Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Kenny Hotz's friend has bet him $1000
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
that Kenny (who is Jewish) can't meet him. The movie takes place over the course of six days in which Kenny attempts several times to meet the pope in order to win the bet. In his attempt to meet the man, Kenny does several things, including becoming a "Pope-arazzi", fighting his way through millions of pilgrims and onlookers, thousands of cops
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, security guards, Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
Special Forces, precision sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s. There are cameos
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
by various members of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
in the film. The film also features clips of Toronto mayoral candidate Kevin Clarke. The film won the best Canadian documentary award in 2004.