Dragons down under!

There Be Dragons, the latest film to be directed by two-time Academy Award-nominee Roland Joffe, has been confirmed for an Australian release to limited audiences in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in December.

The announcement comes just months after the film’s major theatrical release in America which was viewed by more than one-hundred thousand people.

The rights to screen the film in Australia were purchased by Fleur-de-lis Productions, a nascent organisation founded to reinvigorate enthusiasm for Catholic Art, Literature and Music in Australia.

The film will be screened as part of a weekend of events celebrating Catholic culture. The president of Fleur-de-lis Productions, Katie-May Rynne commented on the organisation’s acquisition of the rights to screen the film. “Currently, large film distribution companies are yet to make a bid to win the right to screen the film nationally. This means that the screenings hosted by Fleur-de-lis Productions will certainly be the first and may even be the only chance that the Australian public has to see the film in its cinematic form.”

Fuente: http://fleurdelisproductions.com/news/

Asiste Joffé a screening en Kenia

Award winning movie director Sir Roland Joffe was present at the screening of his latest movie 'There be Dragons' in the auditorium on Monday, 21st November. The movie is based on the early life of St Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei and the inspiration behind Strathmore University among other institutions worldwide.

The movie which was released this year comes at a very fitting moment when Strathmore is marking its 50 anniversary. The University invited Joffe for the screening of the movie as part its 50th anniversary celebrations.

The movie is an epic action-adventure romance set during the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War which occurred between 1936 and 1939. The story traces the lives of two young men, Josemaria Escriva (Charlie Cox) and Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley), childhood friends who are separated by the political upheaval of pre-war Spain and find themselves on opposite sides as war erupts.

Guided by love his love for God, Josemaria becomes a priest and struggles to spread reconciliation through the founding of Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church that teaches that all men and women can become saints by carrying out everyday tasks.

Manolo chooses war and becomes a spy for the Nationalist side led by General Franco and is opposed to the communists under the republican banner. He becomes obsessed with a beautiful Hungarian revolutionary, Ildiko, who has joined the militia in pursuit of passion and purpose.

But when Ildiko rejects him out of love for the courageous militia leader Oriol, Manolo's jealousy leads him down a path of betrayal.

As personal and national battles rage, the characters' lives collide and their deepest struggles are illuminated through the fateful choices they make. Each will struggle to find the power of forgiveness over the forces tearing their lives and friendship apart.

“I wanted to make a film about bringing love to the world and what happens when that love goes away and when that love goes away, there is vacuum hate despair, fear. This movie is about all human beings,” Joffé said.

Joffe is a renowned movie director. He has been twice nominated for academy award for Best Director for the 1984 film 'The Killing Fields', and the 1986 film 'The Mission'. 'The Killing Fields' won academy awards for Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography. The Mission won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

I think Roland's message is a lesson on how we can go beyond the ego, transcend the human flaws that we all live with and that threaten to imprison us. I think it's about how we can do that not just as people, but as societies. There are huge lessons in the film for countries in conflict said Charlie Cox who acts as St Josemaria.

This is not just a movie about a Saint. It is a movie about what it means to be human. As Joffe says, this film is about all human beings, that all human beings count…. I got sober when doing this film said Wes Bentley who acts as Manolo in 'There be Dragons'. He also starred in 'American Beauty'.

Fuente: Strathmore University
(http://www.strathmore.edu/News.php?NewsID=721)

Secretos de pasión en Facebook

"Secretos de pasión" ya cuenta con un perfil en Facebook. No olviden dar click en "Me gusta".

Sobre el estreno en Latinoamérica

Según información del distribuidor de la película Secretos de pasión (Tayrona International), el estreno de la película NO será el próximo 25 de noviembre. La fecha se ha cambiado a comienzos del próximo año.

Secretos de Pasión en Rome Reports

Estreno en Filipinas

La película There Be Dragons se estrenará en Filipinas el próximo 9 de noviembre. Se está llevando a cabo una una muy buena campaña en internet. Pueden checar: Facebook y Dragons.ph  Are you a Dragon Slayer?

Encuentro digital de Roland Joffé en elmundo.es

1. ¿Cómo valoraría la experiencia de haberse adentrado en la historia reciente de España y de un personaje tan del siglo XX como Escrivá de Balaguer?

Ha sido algo que realmente me ha hecho pensar mucho.

2. Señor Joffé: He leído que usted es agnóstico. La experiencia de haber dirigido esta película, ¿le ha acercado a Dios? ¿Ha cambiado la opinión que podía tener sobre el fundador del Opus Dei después de conocer su vida? Gracias. Jesús Baiget

Sí, veo a Escrivá de una manera distinta. Conocía muy poco de él antes de hacer la película. Tampoco sabía mucho del Opus Dei. Tenía una idea superficial. A medida que fui investigando, eso cambió. Obviamente, en lo que a mí se refiere, mis creencias religiosas no son lo importante. Para mí, lo más importante es el respeto que ahora tengo hacia las creencias religiosas de los demás. También he tenido que abandonar muchas opiniones superficiales de lo que significa la experiencia religiosa y la religión en sí.

3. ¿Cómo llegó a un titular tan sugerente: "encontrarás dragones"?

El título se basa en algo que es históricamente cierto, que es que en la Edad Media cuando se hacían mapas, cuando llegaban a territorios que no se habían explorado, territorios desconocidos, escribían "Aquí hay dragones". Los dragones representaban lo desconocido y lo misterioso. Por tanto, podemos decir que todos tenemos dragones con los que podemos luchar. Esos dragones pueden ser temores, la ira, complejos de inferioridad, el orgullo...

4. Tal y como esta el auge de la pirateria, ¿es rentable seguir haciendo peliculas? ¿Que se le pasa por la mente cuando ve su pelicula colgada en internet? Gracias y mucha suerte.

Creo que desde luego merece la pena seguir con el proceso creativo. Hay una escala que se puede conseguir en el cine que vale la pena mantener. Y lo más importante es que hay un grupo de personas que ven esa película juntos. Esa experiencia emocional es muy importante y tiene gran poder. Por otra parte, Internet es muy interesante y valioso, pero Internet consigue distintas relaciones psicólogicas entre personas.

5. En sus pases previos de Encontrarás Dragones ¿como reacciona el diferente tipo de publico ante la maldad y la bondad humana que por lo que he leído se retratan en su última cinta? Gracias

No se puede separar a un hombre de su contexto histórico. Debemos recordar que el momento más importante en su vida, en lo que se refiere a su formación, ocurrió durante la Guerra Civil española. Cuando uno ve la película no solo ve a Escrivá sino la España de esa época.

6. ¿Cuál es la escena o secuencia de la película There be dragons de la que se siente más satisfecho, y por qué?

Es una pregunta muy difícil. Es como preguntar a un padre cuál es su hijo favorito. Esto no significa que no me gusten igual todas las escenas de la película, pero una escena muy emotiva es la charla entre Josemaría y sus díscipulos después de ver a un cura asesinado. Creo que la interpretación de los actores en esa escena es maravillosa. Podría decirse que es el corazón de la película, el momento en que todos tienen que enfrentarse a lo mejor y a lo peor de la humanidad. Y los jóvenes tienen que luchar para mantener su humanidad.

7. ¿El Opus Dei le ha sugerido meter escenas o a eliminar alguna? ¿Se ha visto forzado en algun momento por miembros del Opus Dei que han finanziado (sic) la pelicula?

No. Justo lo contrario. Los productores me dijeron que yo tenía la responsabilidad de lo que se decía en la película. La responsabilidad es abrumadora, pero inevitable. No hay ninguna escena que haya tenido comentario o opinión de alguien del Opus Dei. De todas formas, no sé qué conoces del Opus Dei. Recuerda que el Opus Dei no tiene una opinión institucional. El Opus Dei no es una instituación en ese sentido, cada persona que pertenece a esa asociación amplia es responsable de sus propios actos y opiniones. El Opus Dei no ha financiado la película. Hay miembros del Opus Dei que han invertido en la película como individuos particulares porque querían honrar a Josemaria Escrivá, porque creían que era una buena historia o porque querían ganar dinero. Cada inversor tiene sus razones para poner dinero para una película. Creo que fueron muy valientes porque no sabían qué es lo que iba a hacer.

8. ¿Qué recuerdo se lleva del personaje Josemaria Escrivá?

Sobre todo su sentido del humor, su amor por la vida, su amor por la gente. Creo que realmente amaba a la gente. Tenía una especie de diario donde apuntaba cosas durante la Guerra Civil, guardado en la Embajada de Honduras, y es muy conmovedor lo que escribe. Estaba luchando con sus propias dudas, lo que se puede esperar en una guerra, se preguntaba dónde estaba Dios. Pero escribe algo muy bonito acerca de los jóvenes con los que estaba trabajando: "Algunos de ellos están tomando decisiones que creo que están equivocados, pero sus sus propias elecciones y se les tiene que permitir elegir lo que quieran, independientemente de lo que piense". Ahí se ve su amor por los jóvenes. Siempre me quedaré con eso.

9. En primer lugar, gracias por su cine que es una maravilla. Según he leído su película presenta dos personales contrapuestos: un tal Manuel y Escrivá de Balaguer. En otras películas suyas ha usado el mismo recurso de enfrentar a dos personajes: ¿lo hace por que es un buen medio para dar un mensaje o bien para ensalzar a uno de los personajes?

Ambas cosas. Es una muy buena pregunta. Hay una expresión en inglés escrita por el poeta John Donne que dice "Ningún hombre es una isla, algo completo en sí mismo. Todo hombre es un fragmento del continente, una parte del conjunto". Es necesario representar a las personas en su contexto, el contexto suelen ser otras personas. Podríamos llamarlo geografía personal en lugar de geografía física.

10. ¿Por qué dice que no aspira al Oscar?

El Oscar un reconocimiento muy bonito, pero no debe convertirse en el objetivo del trabajo de un director. La meta de uno debe ser la verdad y contar una buena historia con grandes personajes y momentos. Eso en sí es recompensa suficiente.

11. ¿En qué países vas a proyectar la película?

En todo el mundo.

12. Enhorabuena, Roland. He visto la película en un pase previo y me ha encantado. ¿Cuál de los personajes de la película te refleja mejor?

Una pregunta muy penetrante. Me encantaría decir que es Josemaría, pero probablemente no lo sea. Podría ser Manolo, pero creo que sus experiencias sus muy diferentes a la mía. Creo que sería Ildico, aunque sea mujer tiene una inocencia acerca de la vida, una inocencia que ojalá no tuviese yo, pero es algo psicológicamente innato e inevitable para mí.

13. ¿Qué dice a quienes dudan de que su respeto al cristianismo, y más concretamente a Josemaría, sea imparcial?

Tienen razón. Es imposible abordar algo de forma completamente imparcial. Cada uno tiene que escoger un sesgo. Yo escogí centrarme en los seres humanos como seres humanos, no como expresiones de las interpretaciones ideológicas. Mi sesgo es el de la humanidad de todos los seres humanos.

14. Las personas que no tengan relación con el Opus Dei o no estén familiarizados con la religión, ¿disfrutarán de esta película? ¿cree que les quedarán cabos sueltos? Gracias, Ana.

Sí, por supuesto que lo disfrutarán. Yo no soy religioso ni estoy relacionado con el Opus Dei. Me centro en los seres humanos. Lo que he descubierto es fascinante. Y uno de los héroes de la película es un ateo.

15. De verdad, me ha impresionado que usted que es agnóstico haya hecho una película así, ¿cómo lo ha podido hacer?. Es muy impresionante. Es un gran ejemplo para mucha gente. Se lo agradezco. Otra pregunta, ¿quiso cambiar el guión en algún momento? ¿lo hizo?. Gracias

Sí, eso ocurre constantemente. El guión es como un mapa. Pero una vez reúnes a los actores y tienes la escena delante de ti, las cosas cambian. Otra cosa que debemos recordar acerca de hacer una película es que hay tres momentos clave. El guión es la idea inicial. El rodaje supone recoger todos los requisitos necesarios para llegar a esa idea, recoge todass las imagenes que el guión exige. Pero realmente es en la sala de montaje donde la película toma forma. Allí es donde tenemos que ver cómo aquello que tienes en la mente se traduce en la realidad. Puedes jugar con la estructura, líneas, equilibrio... Hay cosas que eliminas porque hay demasiado énfasis, intentas clarificar cosas que no están del todo clara y si tienes un productor fuerte, como debería ser, luchas contra contra tu instinto natural de no mostrárselo a nadie y empiezas a hacer pruebas. La idea es hacer la historia cada vez más clara, más eficiente y más emotiva.

Fuente: El Mundo

Acciones de movilización para todos los públicos

1. Descarga el póster y pégalo en tu casa, oficina o en tu salón de clases.

2. Ve al cine más cercano y pide en taquilla que proyecten Encontrarás Dragones.

3. Escribe a los medios de comunicación sobre el perdón, la amistad o algún tema relacionado con la película y haz referencia a ella.

4. Descarga la aplicación de iPhone.

5. Usa algún fondo de pantalla de Encontrarás Dragones.

6. Entra a foros y chats para hacer comentarios positivos del film.

7. Reserva una sala y lleva a todos tus amigos al cine.

Acciones de movilización para asociaciones juveniles

Dirección:
1. Insertar  en el sitio de la asociación un banner de Encontrarás Dragones y vincularlo a la web oficial de la película.

2. Coordinar la reserva de sala para los socios de la asociación.

Padres:
1. Impartir formación para padres sobre los valores de Encontrarás Dragones.

Niños:
1. Impartir formación para niños sobre los valores de Encontrarás Dragones.

2. Actividades del club alrededor de la película:

• Recorrido de cines para pedir que pongan la película.
• Continuar el guión de Encontrarás Dragones.
• Organizar un concurso de pósters.

Acciones de movilización en blogs

Sólo un par de sugerencias para promover la película en blogs:

1. Publica una entrada sobre la película en tu blog (argumento, reparto, crítica).

2. Deja comentarios en blogs de cine.

Acciones de movilización para parroquias

Párroco/sacerdotes:

1. Descargar el póster de la película y colgarlo en el despacho parroquial y la puerta de la iglesia.

2. Insertar el banner en la web de la parroquia y vincularlo a la web oficial de la película (el banner está en inglés, pero pronto estará disponible en este blog la versión española).

Acciones de movilización en redes sociales

Si tienes una cuenta de Facebook puedes:

1. Poner el tráiler en tu muro.
2. Hacerte fan de Encontrarás Dragones.
3. Invitar a tus contactos a hacerse fan de Encontrarás Dragones.
4. Poner como foto de perfil algo relacionado con la película
5. Actualizar tu estado diciendo: "Voy a ir a ver Encontrarás Dragones".

Si tienes cuenta en Twitter puedes:
1. Hacerte seguidor de @E_Dragones.
2. Recomendar la película.
3. Retwittear los comentarios positivos que encuentres de la película.
             - Votar el tráiler desde el canal de YouTube y compartirlo con tus contactos.

Acciones de movilización para colegios

Hoy también les dejo algunas sugerencias para promover el film en las escuelas.

1. Insertar en el sitio del colegio un banner de "Encontrarás Dragones" y vincular a la web de la película.

2. Enviar un mail a los padres presentando la película, dirigiendo a la web y hablando de la posibilidad de promoverla (pueden difundir la dirección de este blog para darles ideas y la posibilidad de acceder a todo el material que he subido y seguiré subiendo).

3. Enviar un mail a los antiguos alumnos presentando la película, dirigiendo a la web y hablando de la posibilidad de promoverla (pueden difundir la dirección de este blog ...).

4. Anunciar el estreno y redactar un artículo en la publicación del colegio.

Alumnos/Profesores

1. Evaluar un trabajo de religión o ética sobre los valores de la película, como por ejemplo el perdón (pronto subiré unas guías de discusión que serán útiles para las clases de inglés).

2. Organizar un concurso de pósters

3. Quizá sea el momento oportuno para enseñar a los alumnos a ver y apreciar cine de calidad.

Fotos

Les dejo todas las fotos en alta resolución que tengo. Para bajarlas sólo tienen que dar click en la imagen, se abrirá la foto en una página nueva, den click derecho y luego guardar como. Si no pueden bajarlas así o si se bajan en tamaño pequeño, contáctenme (den click en la foto del pingüino y luego en "correo electrónico"). Nota: Todas las imágenes que aparecen en este blog se bajan de esa manera. Pueden usar lo que quieran.

Ignacio Gómez-Sancha, productor



There Be Dragons According to the Critics: Here Come the Adjectives!

Fr. John Wauck

Ah, where would we be without film critics? Now that the reviews are in, we know that There Be Dragons is epic, enthralling, entertaining, calamitous, compelling, strange, moving, powerful, refreshing and… buffed! And Charlie Cox, as St. Josemaría, is surprising and amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever read as many movie reviews as I’ve read in the last week. Just to save you the trouble, here are some of the more entertaining highlights. Actually, some of these comments are pretty astute.

“Powerful in the way Steven Spielberg’s epics are powerful.” – Aubrey Malone, The Irish Catholic

“This enthralling movie… includes several powerful gut-punches.” Mike Saulters, Slackerwood blog

“Demonstrat[es] an increasingly rare sense of scope and pageantry best served by the bigscreen.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

“The Battle of Madrid, rumbling across the screen, evokes a visceral response, and scenes of the Republican guerrillas being mowed down by low-swooping fascist air power give you that roller-coaster kick.” – Stephen Holden, New York Times

“Captures the beauty amid the brutality of war without forgetting that it is the individual stories of those on the ground that matter.” – Betsy Sharkey, LATimes

“There Be Dragons […] had a pretty decent budget at around $36 million, but feels more like a $100 million movie. The sets are large and well thought out and the film is actually a great period piece of a 1930s civil war torn Spain.” – Tom Clocker, Baltimore Movie Examiner

“It sounds like an old-fashioned movie and it is, the kind they don’t make anymore, with the sweep and character development of a novel, and a richly textured production design that belies its low budget…. as hagiographies go, There Be Dragons is enthralling.” – Ann Lewinson, Hardford Advocate

“As Escriva, the English actor Charlie Cox acquits himself surprisingly well. You think it’s hard being a saint? Try playing one.” – Mark Feeney, Boston Globe

“Charlie Cox… does an amazing job as Josemaria” – Kevin, Reviews St. Louis

“Like The Mission, it’s about a priest and a soldier, and if their relationship seems forced, when a movie is this entertaining it really doesn’t matter….” – Ann Lewinson, Hardford Advocate

“Dragons is a quite strange movie.” – Mark Feeney, Boston Globe

“Extremely refreshing to see the Catholic faith represented as something that inspires generosity, courage, manliness, and heroism” – Simcha Fisher, Catholic blogger

“There Be Dragons has class written all over it… the epic, hand-oiled sheen of a Major Motion Picture…. There Be Dragons is like fine wine…. It’s got it all, wrapped in a handsome package by two-time Oscar-nominated British writer-director Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields and The Mission) and buffed to a fare-thee-well.” – Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post

“Calamitous” – Stephen Holden, New York Times

“Set against the backdrop of the 1930s Spanish Civil War, There Be Dragons is a sweeping tale of saints and sinners and the thin line separating them. Written and directed by Oscar nominee Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields), it’s also a philosophical meditation disguised as a dramatic film.” – Rick Warner, Bloomberg

“It is good to see a director as talented as Roland Joffé return.” – Joe Hodes

“Luminous and thought-provoking…. a very unique movie – one that they don’t make much anymore.” Jarett Wieselman, NY Post

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen what I would call a traditional epic, and this film takes many cues from other classical epics, including the look, the stories, and the types of characters that feel quite familiar.  There are many things going on here–action, romance, betrayal, and an exploration on the theme of forgiveness, which I found the film drove home quite effectively.” Win Kang, Orange County Movie Examiner

“The film’s inherent complexity blooms into a compelling cinematic vision. As with his previous films The Killing Fields and The Mission, Joffé is using the techniques of the historical epic to explore matters of the heart and soul.” – Glenn McDonald, NewsObserver

“There Be Dragons is a moving parable about forgiveness.” – Juan Manuel de Prada, Capital

“Builds to a satisfying emotional payoff between sinner and saint.” Peter Debruge, Variety

Acciones de movilización para residencias

Presento algunas sugerencias que podrán ayudarlos a promover la película en residencias universitarias:

1. Insertar un banner de There Be Dragons en la web de la residencia y vincularlo al sitio oficial de la película.

2. Mandar un mail a los antiguos residentes presentando la película, dirigirlos a la web y animarlos a que la difundan (próximamente publicaré acciones de movilización en blogs y redes sociales).

3. Organizar funciones de películas de Roland Joffé (The Mission; The Killing Fields) dentro de la actividad de cine.

4. Organizar una tertulia con material de la película.

Acciones de movilización para universidades

Presento algunas sugerencias que podrán ayudarlos a promover la película en el ámbito universitario:

1. Insertar un banner de "Encontrarás Dragones" y vincularlo a la web oficial de la película (El banner lo puedes descargar aquí).

2. Coordinar la reserva de salas de cine.

3. Enviar un mail a profesores y empleados para darles a conocer la película.

 4. Enviar un mail a los alumnos (¡y también ex alumnos!) presentando la película y dirigiéndolos a la web oficial.

 5. Publicar un reportaje en la revista o periódico universitario.

*También puedes descargar el póster aquí.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like St. Josemaria?

Cathleen Falsani

The Huffington Post

For most filmgoers, the words "Opus Dei" typically conjure up images of self-flagellating, hair-shirt clad fanatics slinking through the darkened streets of Paris on a mission to keep the supposed burial place of Mary Magdalene a secret.

And for that you can thank Dan Brown and "The Da Vinci Code."

Brown's blockbuster novel and film cast Opus Dei as villainous, clandestine, powerful and nefarious. Its followers are portrayed as mindless disciples, the keepers of secrets and corrupt manipulators of history.

So when Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffe ("The Mission") set out to make a film about Opus Dei founder St. Josemaria Escriva, his first task was to craft a historically accurate yet accessible film that wouldn't repel audiences.

His film, "There Be Dragons," is an epic period piece set during the Spanish Civil War that tells part of Escriva's back story. But instead of focusing on the would-be saint, the film casts him in a supporting role.

Rather than a pious biopic of a somewhat obscure religious figure, Joffe's film is much more of a psycho-spiritual study of relationships between fathers and sons -- both human and divine.

If Joffe painted a picture of Escriva that focused too much on his piety, the authenticity of his humanity could be lost. Yet if Escriva were depicted as perhaps "too" human, it might have been dismissed as yet another Da Vinci-esque assault on Catholicism.

The film's title is derived from an old Latin expression, Hic sunt dragones or "Here be dragons" -- once commonly used by cartographers to indicate unexplored locations on maps.

Joffe, a self-described "wobbly agnostic," sailed into uncharted territory when he set about making a movie that's as much about sinners as it is about saints.

In Joffe's at times uneasy cinematic marriage of a historical epic and an intimate character study, the audience does come away with a message. But it's about human frailty and divine grace, not piety or religious zeal.

The film's protagonist is the antihero Manolo Torres, a fictitious childhood friend of Escriva, whose story is woven with Escriva's throughout their lives. The two start out more or less on even ground as children in pre-war Spain.

Escriva's father, a tender and pious man, owns a chocolate factory before losing his business and going bankrupt. The family clings to a simple faith through the death of several children and the bankruptcy of his business. The first mass Escriva celebrates as a priest is for his father's funeral.

Torres' father also owns a factory, albeit a far more successful one, and is a far less gracious soul than the elder Escriva. The elder Torres is judgmental, violent and given to fits of rage. While Escriva's father serves God and family, Torres' father worships mammon and considers his workers to be "scum."

"My dad had more money, more cars, more houses, but Josemaria had more dad," Manolo Torres says in a voiceover early on in the film. "A seed of envy began to grow in me. In a child's heart many seeds are planted. You never know quite what will grow."

Both young men end up in the Catholic seminary -- a short-lived career move for Torres, but a holy vocation for Escriva. That's where their paths diverge, only to be brought together time and again by the unfolding of history.

Neither Torres nor Escriva is depicted as fully saint or sinner. Escriva, in particular, is portrayed as a man whose heart belonged to God but whose feet were firmly planted on earth. He possesses an immovable faith and steady moral compass. He also has a temper, a great sense of humor, and ample joie de vivre.

Today Opus Dei (Latin for "work of God") has some 90,000 members worldwide -- most of them lay people -- who have embraced Escriva's notion that everyone has the potential to be used by God for good, and that everything can be a vessel for the holy.

"Jesus spent most of his life working in a shop in Nazareth," he says in the film. "God's world is so full of goodness. If we do them for love, each daily task can give him glory."

Joffe originally turned down the film, but changed his mind after watching a video where a young Jewish girl told Escriva that her desire to become a Catholic was causing problems with her parents.

Instead of encouraging her conversion, Escriva advised the girl to honor her parents and told her not to convert. Joffe says he found the incident so impressively "open-minded" that he agreed to direct the film.

The emotional energy that propels the film comes from Torres and his relationship with his son, Richard (sic), and his mother, Ildiko. In the film, Richard (sic) is working on a book about the late Escriva well before he was declared a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

In "There Be Dragons" it is the tormented, complicated Torres, not Escriva, who is the keeper of monumental secrets. His sins as a young man -- and they are both legion and epic -- lead to a life of isolation and desperation.

How his story ends is a testament to the power of redemption.Because, as the film reminds the audience, "every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."

A version of this column originally appeared via Religion News Service.

Cathleen Falsani is author of the book The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers and the forthcoming Belieber!: Fame, Faith & the Heart of Justin Bieber.

Movie Inspires a Forgivness Movement

Joaquín Navarro-Valls Discusses "There Be Dragons"

By Jesús Colina

ROME, MAY 4, (Zenit.org).- Without intending to do so, the movie "There Be Dragons," set for release in the U.S. this Friday, has set off a "movement of many people who feel moved to forgive," says Joaquín Navarro-Valls. Navarro-Valls, known as the long-time Vatican spokesman from 1984-2006, told ZENIT that the producers of the movie, which is set during the Spanish Civil War, "are daily receiving messages of thanks (some are on the Internet) from people who see the movie and decide to return home after years of separation, from spouses who are reconciled, from parents and children who have come to accept one another again, from others who return to God after a long time of being distanced from him."

"There Be Dragons" is an historical drama, directed by Roland Joffé (“The Mission,” “The Killing Fields,” “City of Joy”), that evokes the youthful years of St. Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975), Opus Dei's founder (played by Charlie Cox), and his attitude to the Spanish Civil War.

Robert (played by Dougray Scott) is a journalist who, on investigating the figure of the founder of "the Work" to write an extensive report, discovers that his father, Manolo (played by Wes Bentley), with whom he has had no relationship for the past eight years, was a friend of Escrivá during his childhood.

From that moment, the plot leads the journalist and with him the public, to discover unimaginable surprises that would change his life forever.

On the eve of the U.S. premiere, ZENIT spoke with Navarro-Valls, who is investor in the movie, on his personal relationship with St. Josemaría Escrivá and why he became involved with "There Be Dragons."

ZENIT: You lived for more than 20 years with the now Blessed John Paul II as his spokesperson and a close collaborator. You also lived for five years with St. Josemaría Escrivá, who is one of the characters in this movie. What common elements do you see between these two holy persons?

Navarro-Valls: From the human and psychological point of view, I would say that they shared a great sense of humor, which both maintained up to the moment of their deaths. Another characteristic was their capacity to take the initiative. They were able to foresee the needs of others and the needs of their time and did not simply react to the problems or challenges that arose in each moment. On the spiritual plane, they both had a strong awareness of being in the hands of God and of fulfilling his will. St. Josemaría referred to himself as a "madman" for the love of God. Blessed John Paul II would lose track of time when he was praying before a tabernacle.

At the same time, however, Josemaría Escrivá and Karol Wojtyla were men of flesh and bones and very much men of their time. When we have known a saint, when our own life has crossed paths with theirs, I think that we have to modify the idea of holiness that appears in baroque art, which centers above all on the extraordinary moments. Such an idea lacks realism, consistency and proportion. These two saints show us that holiness is joined to the material world and to everything that is human. I saw how they would make their own the joys and sufferings of the people around them, laughing and empathizing with them. It seems to me that a saint is always a realist, with the realism that allows one to see things with the eyes of God. Josemaría Escrivá and Karol Wojtyla make us see that in our concrete and human world there is "a divine something" that is there waiting for anyone who knows how to find it, that every activity and every moment has its divine transcendence.

I would also say that in these men we can find some shared theological views, such as an interest for what is known as the "theology of the laity."

From the time he founded Opus Dei in 1928, Josemaría Escriva’s contribution to this has been immense. And I think that John Paul II, by going ahead with St. Josemaría’s canonization, also wanted to proclaim, in a most solemn way, this ideal of sanctity in ordinary life.

ZENIT: Why did you decide to become personally involved in "There be Dragons?"

Navarro-Valls: As you yourself mentioned, in my life I have lived with two saints. In a certain way, I feel in my conscience that I have a responsibility to transmit this unique experience, and I thought that the theater might be a suitable means. In 2005, I collaborated with an Italian-American co-production about Karol Wojtyla, which the producer Lux Vide led from Italy. A little later, when Roland Joffé and the producers of "There be Dragons" spoke to me about the project, I found it attractive, and I decided to invest in this movie. I found Joffé's approach interesting. He constructs a story with parallel lives (as in "The Mission" and "The Killing Fields") in which Josemaría Escrivá is one of the central characters. The film does not present a saint’s life, but the complicated lives of several people deeply touched by a holy priest. The plot turns on the meaning of forgiveness, which has eternal significance in human history.

ZENIT: And what do you think of the results?

Navarro-Valls: I think what we have here is a film full of humanity and dramatic strength that draws in the viewer. You can see this in the box-office results in Spain, where it has been in the theaters for seven weeks now. Roland Joffé has returned to his best moments and has made a movie that is both moving and entertaining.

I think that it is a great story of passion that finds its resolution in the theme of forgiveness. The nucleus of the movie is the narration of an ambiguous character, Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley), who, at the end of his life, resolves the problems he has with his son. It is a very emotional moment in the film but, above all, it is the film’s moment of truth.

Without planning to do so, Roland Joffé has started a movement of many people who feel moved to forgive. The producers are daily receiving messages of thanks (some are on the Internet) from people who see the movie and decide to return home after years of separation, from spouses who are reconciled, from parents and children who have come to accept one another again, from others who return to God after a long time of being distanced from him. As an investor, these reactions have been wonderfully gratifying and represent an incalculable value, far superior to any financial return on the investment.

ZENIT: Some have seen "There Be Dragons" as a response to “The Da Vinci Code."

Navarro-Valls: The film’s director and producers have said on numerous occasions that they do not see the film as a response to anyone, among other reasons, because they consider their movie to be at a higher level, both artistically as well as from the point of view of pure entertainment. The movie contains a great deal of visual and musical beauty, and there are many passions and emotions that will leave hardly anyone indifferent.

Nevertheless, while they do not consider themselves to be answering anyone, I think that "There Be Dragons" is in fact a powerful answer to "The Da Vinci Code," because it expresses in a film the truth about questions related to the Christian message and the Church that were falsified in Dan Brown's story. I would be delighted if many of the fans of "The Da Vinci Code" saw and enjoyed "There Be Dragons." They would discover a more complete and more real picture of the supernatural themes of God's grace and holiness, which are the things to which every human being aspires. I am convinced that Mr. Brown himself would appreciate this story, if he were to see it.