English
News
Movie Inspires Forgiveness Movement
May 5, 2011
Joaquín Navarro-Valls Discusses "There Be Dragons"
By Jesús Colina
zenit.org -. The movie "There Be Dragons," set for release in the U.S. this Friday, has set off a "reaction 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 have been reconciled, from parents and children who have come to accept one another again, from others who have returned 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”), about the youth 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 own father, Manolo (played by Wes Bentley), with whom he has had no contact for the past eight years, was a childhood friend of Escrivá.
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 an investor in the movie, about his personal relationship with St. Josemaría Escrivá and why he became involved with "There Be Dragons."
- You lived for more than twenty 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 people?
From the human and psychological point of view, I would say that they shared a great sense of humor, which they both maintained up to the moment they died. 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 problems or challenges as they arose.
On the spiritual plane, they both had a strong awareness of being in God's hands and of fulfilling his will. St. Josemaría called himself a “madman” for 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 blood, and very much men of their time. When you've met a saint, when your own life has crossed paths with theirs, you feel the need to modify the idea of holiness that appears in baroque art, which focuses above all on the extraordinary moments. That sort of image lacks realism, consistency and proportion.
These two saints show us that holiness is joined to the material world and everything that is human. I saw how they made 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 through God's eyes.
Josemaría Escrivá and Karol Wojtyla make us see that in our concrete, human world there is “a divine something” waiting for anyone who knows how to find it, that every activity and every moment has its divine transcendence. I would also say that these two men shared some theological views, such as an interest in what is known as the “theology of the laity.”
From the time he founded Opus Dei in 1928, Josemaría Escriva’s contribution to this was immense. And I think that John Paul II, by going ahead with St. Josemaría’s canonization, also wanted to proclaim, very solemnly, this ideal of sanctity in ordinary life.
Why did you decide to become personally involved in “There be Dragons”?
As you mentioned, in my life I have lived with two saints. In a certain way, I feel in conscience that I have a responsibility to transmit this unique experience, and I thought that the theater might be a good way to do it.
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 liked the idea, and 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 presents 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.
And what do you think of the results?
I think it’s 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’s been in the theaters for seven weeks now. Roland Joffé has returned to his best moments and he’s made a movie that is both moving and entertaining.
I think it’s a great story of passion that finds its resolution in the theme of forgiveness. The nucleus of the movie is the story 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’s the film’s moment of truth.
Without planning to do so, Roland Joffé has set off a reaction 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 have been reconciled, from parents and children who have come to accept one another again, from others who have returned to God after a long time of being distanced from him. For me as an investor, these reactions have been wonderfully gratifying and represent an incalculable value, far greater than any financial return on the investment.
Some have seen "There Be Dragons" as a response to “The Da Vinci Code."
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 don’t consider that they are responding to anyone, I think "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’d be delighted if many of the fans of "The Da Vinci Code" saw and enjoyed "There Be Dragons." They’d discover a more complete and more real picture of the supernatural themes of God's grace and holiness, which are things every human being aspires to. I’m convinced that Mr. Brown himself would appreciate this story, if he saw it.
Further information
On ZENIT's Web page:
Elizabeth Lev reviewed the movie here: www.zenit.org/article-31846?l=english
On the Net:
To find a theater: www.dragonsresources.com/resources/theaters.html
here
By Jesús Colina
zenit.org -. The movie "There Be Dragons," set for release in the U.S. this Friday, has set off a "reaction 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 have been reconciled, from parents and children who have come to accept one another again, from others who have returned to God after a long time of being distanced from him."
Robert (Dougray Scott) is a journalist who, on investigating the figure of Josemaria Escriva, discovers that his own father, Manolo, with whom he has had no contact for the past eight years, was a childhood friend of Escrivá.
"There Be Dragons" is an historical drama, directed by Roland Joffé (“The Mission,” “The Killing Fields,” “City of Joy”), about the youth 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 own father, Manolo (played by Wes Bentley), with whom he has had no contact for the past eight years, was a childhood friend of Escrivá.
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 an investor in the movie, about his personal relationship with St. Josemaría Escrivá and why he became involved with "There Be Dragons."
John Paul II with Joaquin Navarro-Valls
- You lived for more than twenty 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 people?
From the human and psychological point of view, I would say that they shared a great sense of humor, which they both maintained up to the moment they died. 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 problems or challenges as they arose.
On the spiritual plane, they both had a strong awareness of being in God's hands and of fulfilling his will. St. Josemaría called himself a “madman” for 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 blood, and very much men of their time. When you've met a saint, when your own life has crossed paths with theirs, you feel the need to modify the idea of holiness that appears in baroque art, which focuses above all on the extraordinary moments. That sort of image lacks realism, consistency and proportion.
These two saints show us that holiness is joined to the material world and everything that is human. I saw how they made 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 through God's eyes.
Josemaría Escrivá and Karol Wojtyla make us see that in our concrete, human world there is “a divine something” waiting for anyone who knows how to find it, that every activity and every moment has its divine transcendence. I would also say that these two men shared some theological views, such as an interest in what is known as the “theology of the laity.”
From the time he founded Opus Dei in 1928, Josemaría Escriva’s contribution to this was immense. And I think that John Paul II, by going ahead with St. Josemaría’s canonization, also wanted to proclaim, very solemnly, this ideal of sanctity in ordinary life.
Why did you decide to become personally involved in “There be Dragons”?
As you mentioned, in my life I have lived with two saints. In a certain way, I feel in conscience that I have a responsibility to transmit this unique experience, and I thought that the theater might be a good way to do it.
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 liked the idea, and 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 presents 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.
And what do you think of the results?
I think it’s 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’s been in the theaters for seven weeks now. Roland Joffé has returned to his best moments and he’s made a movie that is both moving and entertaining.
I think it’s a great story of passion that finds its resolution in the theme of forgiveness. The nucleus of the movie is the story 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’s the film’s moment of truth.
Without planning to do so, Roland Joffé has set off a reaction 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 have been reconciled, from parents and children who have come to accept one another again, from others who have returned to God after a long time of being distanced from him. For me as an investor, these reactions have been wonderfully gratifying and represent an incalculable value, far greater than any financial return on the investment.
Some have seen "There Be Dragons" as a response to “The Da Vinci Code."
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 don’t consider that they are responding to anyone, I think "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’d be delighted if many of the fans of "The Da Vinci Code" saw and enjoyed "There Be Dragons." They’d discover a more complete and more real picture of the supernatural themes of God's grace and holiness, which are things every human being aspires to. I’m convinced that Mr. Brown himself would appreciate this story, if he saw it.
Further information
On ZENIT's Web page:
Elizabeth Lev reviewed the movie here: www.zenit.org/article-31846?l=english
On the Net:
To find a theater: www.dragonsresources.com/resources/theaters.html
here
Prayer
RSS
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
YOUTUBE