November 17, 2024

Pro-life filmmaker documents the real meaning of ‘choice’

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

Actress Marth Byrne and filmmaker Mario Costabile present their latest project, “Choice,” to people gathered for a prescreening at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westfield, Nov. 14. The movie documents the realities of the abortion issue for women by documenting their stories. (IObserve photo/Carolee McGrath)

WESTFIELD – More than 50 people gathered at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westfield, Thursday, Nov. 14, for a prescreening of the film, “Choice,” directed by Mario Costabile, the founder of Array of Hope Ministries. “Choice” documents the stories of women facing an unplanned pregnancy, their reasons for choosing life or abortion, and what happens next in their lives. The interviews allow the audience to see the true impact of abortion on women and the complicated circumstances that lead women to that choice.

“’Choice’ was really inspired with the idea of trying to draw people into a space that can share the truths of the issues of life, but also to invoke people that might even feel differently than we do,” said Costabile before the prescreening.

In one segment of the film, viewers heard from women who worked in abortion clinics. One woman described in detail her job in assisting in late term abortions. The information was jarring but certainly showed the reality of choice.

“There are really important issues of life that people are unaware of, that are unaccustomed to sharing and are opposed to the way we think. So the film is really designed to be multi-generational and multi-issue based, but also designed to bring in people who think differently than we do. The desire is to bring people to a place, to share thought, ideas, but as we know the truth prevails and is revealed in a beautiful way,” he said.

Costabile, who spent 40 years in the entertainment industry, is an award winning music and film producer. He’s done work for MTV, VH1, the Discovery Channel and Atlantic Records, among others. Through Array of Hope Ministries, he has raised $1 million for “Choice.” He an additional $300,000 is needed to finish the project.

“It’s been in development for seven years and we’ve raised quite a bit of money. We are a non-profit. Using a baseball analogy, we’re in the top of the eighth,” he said.

Costabile is also a revert to the faith.

“Array of Hope is an apostolate that was started in 2010. Essentially we share the teachings of the church through media and events. So we do missions, we do concerts, we do retreats, we also produce films,” he said.

“I’m a revert. I was born and raised Catholic, but not really practicing. It wasn’t until my 50’s when I was searching for purpose, meaning, I said ‘is that all this is?’ I felt somewhat empty. I was happy – happily married, great family, but felt that there was something missing. And as I searched, I realized what was missing was God. And since I was a Catholic, I said ‘if God is really, real, I need to know him better,’” he said.

Costabile has another entertainment industry veteran working with him.

“I’ve always been pro-life. I have been in the entertainment business since I was a child. I was on a soap opera on ‘As the World Turns,’” said Martha Byrne, the co-producer of “Choice.” Byrne played the role of Lily on “As the World Turns.” She also was cast in “Annie” on Broadway. Byrne said she was raised in a pro-life Catholic family.

“It’s always been close to my heart. I had a very dear friend of mine who got pregnant in high school and I talked her out of an abortion. She had the baby, gave the baby up for adoption and actually met her daughter a few years ago. It’s in my DNA of my life,” Byrne said.

“So when this project came along, I’ve known Mario since I was a child as well, being in the entertainment business and having a voice and platform in a way that I can communicate with fans and people who follow me for years, it’s a great way to spread the word,” she said.

Byrne has been public about her pro-life stance throughout her career and on social media.

“I feel like God gives us this opportunity, and now what are you going to do with it. He puts it on your plate, but then what do you do with what he gives you. You can be self-satisfied and get a message out of it, or you can spread the message to millions of people, and I am very blessed that I am able to do that,” she said. “I am not afraid to speak and take on the heat because we know in our Catholic faith that suffering is part of our journey. I don’t see it as suffering, I see it as challenge,” she said.

Byrne and Costabile have been doing presentations on the film across the country and recently appeared on Catholic TV.

“I think it’s wonderful that Mario came to the area,” said Father Daniel Pacholec, the director of pro-life activities for the Diocese of Springfield and the pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westfield.

“We have a respectable crowd and every opportunity like this is educational for our pro-life advocates. We heard one story where the minute she (the expectant mother) heard the heartbeat and the minute she saw the ultrasound, she changed her mind. We know that’s key for a woman to keep her child,” said Father Pacholec.

Once completed, “Choice,” will be released by TLS Films. To learn more, go to https://www.choicethedocumentary.com/

A video version of this story will be on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which temporarily airs on Sundays at 6:30 a.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS .