Mother Teresa & Me, a new film, uses a fresh framing device to tell a powerful story about Mother Teresa, the famous saint of Calcutta. Teresa is such an iconic figure that she has become difficult to dramatize in the arts. Director and writer Kamal Musale has solved this issue by making Mother Teresa & Me about two women, not just one.

Mother Teresa & Me portrays both Mother Teresa’s early years in India and the parallel story of Kavita, a young British violinist in the present day. By toggling between the two stories, the filmmakers create what otherwise might have been lacking: suspense. Instead of just watching another documentary on Mother Teresa, the viewer wonders, why are these two stories being told together? Gradually the answers begin to reveal themselves. The two women share similar traits — pride, tenacity, independent thinking and the desire to do something great with their lives. However, whereas Kavita is focused on herself, her romantic relationship and her career, Teresa is aiming for heaven.

[I’m looking forward to this film and “Cabrini,” which should be out soon. — Ed]