PLANS for the controversial Da Vinci Code exhibition at Winchester Cathedral have been unveiled.

The cathedral was hired by filmmakers to shoot sections of the blockbuster movie based on Dan Brown's best-selling book.

Winchester Cathedral came in for criticism for its involvement with the film, which is centred on a conspiracy at the heart of the Christian faith.

But leaders at Winchester's most famous landmark embraced Sony's offer and are putting on an exhibition, which opens on Monday, in the areas of the cathedral that will appear in the film.

The Revd Roland Riem, canon pastor and missioner at the cathedral, said: "We feel that as long as we can talk about the Da Vinci Code, we can give people choices that they don't have from reading the book.

"We didn't think our role was to say: 'We aren't going to have anything to do with it," because 45 million people wanted to read it. So that means they are thinking about the Church and whether there's anything behind it, so here's our big opportunity."

He was present when some of the filming took place and believes the cathedral will look spectacular on the big screen. He said: "They had big spotlights with light streaming in through the windows and the place was filled with smoke. It really looked amazing."

Banners stretching three metres will sprawl from the roof of the historic building and a large rear-projection screen will be hung from a wall in the north transept, with images of the film and the cathedral appearing intermittently. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a series of storyboards.

The Revd Riem continued: "The storyboards are designed to say Dan Brown says this and here is the other view. We don't want to tell people anything. The aim of the exhibition isn't to say he is wrong and we are right. It's to give people choices."

The Dean of Winchester, the Very Revd James Atwell, said: "One has to remember that the book is a novel, but it is set very much on religious territory and it has a lot to say about Christian origins and the way the Christian faith developed."

It was the dean's predecessor, the Very Revd Michael Till, who gave permission for filming at the cathedral the all clear, but the new dean is pleased to be involved. "It's important that the Church doesn't avoid what is popular territory for millions of people. It gives the Church the chance to explain another side."

Professor Michael Wheeler, lay canon and member of the Winchester Cathedral Chapter, has been working on the exhibition.

He said: "I felt it would be good to encourage an open discussion on matters relating to our faith, and this is what the exhibition and series of talks is designed to achieve. The holy mystery beyond the Da Vinci Code is much more exciting than Dan Brown's story."