“Nostra Aetate” explores how Sr Teresa experienced the changes that took place in the Catholic Church in the 1960s, which led to the rewriting of the NDS constitution, the sisters’ “rule of life”, in the 1980s.
“It’s about transition,” says Olivia, explaining that Teresa spoke a lot during her interview about how different the Congregation is today compared to how it was when she joined at eighteen years old. What comes across in the final cut is how the gradual transformation in Sr Teresa’s external life – with greater freedom and a broader outlook on the world – stands in contrast to the unwavering steadfastness of her inner spirituality and faith.
The film received an Award for Excellence at the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival in the US and was screened at HOME (Greater Manchester Arts Centre, UK) as a part of their March 2025 “Filmed Up” event. It will also be screened as part of the Documentary Shorts Programme at the 20th annual Kinofilm Short Film Festival in Manchester on the 18th of May.
Watch the film on Olivia Berglund’s website.
Olivia has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and Photography and completed a Master’s degree in Visual Anthropology in 2023. Her dissertation film was about four women’s religious journey in Manchester: two Christians, a Buddhist and a Muslim. It was during research for her dissertation that she met Sr Teresa. Olivia has several film projects in the pipeline, and would like to do more work on how the qualities of being a woman lend themselves to building community bridges in interfaith spaces.