I
was able to watch the film “Ignacio de
Loyola” the other day. It was filmed in Spain and it depicted the life of how a soldier and captain named
Inigo had found his true calling after he was injured in the Battle of
Pamplona. It was during his tragic experience on becoming crippled after the
battle that he went through the difficulties of battling depression, guilt and
dealing with his ego but since he was bed-ridden that time he ended up finding
himself reading books about the Lives of the Saints and a book about Jesus that
had made him change. It is a film about how a man went through transformation from a soldier and a sinner to a saint whom we
know today as Saint Ignatius.
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| Ignacio de Loyola movie poster Source: Ignacio de Loyola movie facebook page |
Watching the film, there are several scenes that were truly touching. The scenes where Inigo was inspired by St. Francis when he was reading the book on the Lives of the Saints, the one when he was talking to a prostitute and asked her to imagine Jesus seating on a chair in the room, the scene when he was sharing the bread he got from begging to others and the scene when he was reading a letter from Lady Catalina when he was in prison.
The
film also showed how Inigo lived a life of selflessness and gave up a
privileged life to embark on a journey where he did meditation and spiritual exercises,
became a beggar, shared to others God’s unconditional love through informal
conversations, showed true love for his neighbors by helping them amidst his dire circumstances. He also underwent imprisonment and trial since he was questioned
for preaching without authority by the tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition.
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| Ignacio de Loyola gave up all his possessions and became a pilgrim and beggar but continued to help others Source: Ignacio de Loyola movie facebook page |
The
film was truly a beautiful rendition and revelation about St. Ignatius’
transformation, resilience, hope and faith. It also showed how he was able to get vindication during the difficult trial he faced and the unwavering faith he possessed during the Spanish Inquisition.
Below is the link to the film’s trailer from
youtube:
Since
I heard that the film was directed by Paolo Dy, a Filipino director, and was
produced by JesCom in the Philippines, I had to learn more about the backstory
on how they made the film.
I
found out based on my research that the film was made with a limited budget of
PHP50Million and that the team of Filipinos behind it also had to be truly
creative and resourceful when they were filming the movie in Spain.
It
was fascinating to find out that the team also had experienced instances during
filming when they really felt and saw Divine Providence. One such incidence is
when the film’s production designer was looking for sheep and the designer was
able to spot a shepherd tending to his flock. When the designer approached and
asked if the shepherd was available on a certain shooting day, the shepherd
nodded and agreed to bring his flock of sheep on the said date. Apart from this, the shepherd also happened to
own a bakery that makes artisanal bread, which was used for an important scene
in the film and was given for free.
The
production team also had the experience of finding themselves with a warehouse
full of props right across the place where they stayed because the people in
the town gave the items to help make the story about St. Ignatius as real as it
can be.
Ignacio
de Loyola is a film that is truly inspiring and one can
appreciate it in so many levels. The wonderful scenes shot in Spain, fine costumes, production design and cinematography, and talented cast made the film more
visually engaging. It is also a film
that we can be truly proud of since it was produced and made by a Filipino team
and includes beautiful music composed by Ryan Cayabyab.
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| Andreas Munoz portrayed the role of St. Ignatius of Loyola source: Ignacio de Loyola facebook page |
More
importantly, the film also imparts a lesson about history as it showed how Ignacio
de Loyola’s sacrifices, selfless acts, faith and perseverance paved the way for positive
changes that is seen until today through the works and presence of the Jesuit order. It reminds viewers that some of the challenges we face today and
during the 1520s, during the time of St. Ignatius, are still the same and it is
up to us on how we choose to stay in faith and take the high road no matter what challenges we face and push ourselves to make a change for the better.
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source : Ignacio de Loyola movie facebook page |
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