People probably are a little familiar with St. Ignatius of Loyola, the saint frequently mentioned especially in Jesuit schools in the metro. But there's more to this man, as he bears an interesting past and history – St. Ignatius was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family who had a spiritual conversion after being seriously wounded in 1521. He then continued to become a priest and theologian and later became a founder of the Society of Jesus.
The film Ignacio de Loyola is a look at the life of the man behind the legend following his transition from an impulsive youth like we all are to the charismatic leader of an order that little did he know would change thousands of lives forever. Not only would it be interesting to see his life story come alive on the silver screen but also for this full-length film to be backed by a local production, this film may be worth watching. Here are more reasons why you should consider it to be one of your movie agendas this week:
1. Learn from his soldier to sinner to saint story
As a young soldier, Ignacio was known to be arrogant and impulsive but as a servant of God, he became obedient and compassionate. He was severely injured at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521 and came back after the battle, crippled and was devastated since he knew his dreams were completely gone. Iñigo then realizes there is a bigger spiritual struggle worthy of his dreams and efforts. After recovering, he was determined to know what God wants of him and goes on a pilgrimage where he was transformed to a knight of God.
2. The story is easily relatable
Despite what people think about the film showing us a saint, it is really just about an ordinary human being who experienced struggles and got through it. He threw everything away to become a better person and followed his calling. Specifically for the youth, the film shows how it is a struggle to make crucial life decisions and whether you know if you're doing any of it right. It aims to help its viewers realize they are not alone.
3. Actors who fit their role perfectly
Andreas Muñoz started acting when he was only nine in The Devil's Backbone which is a gothic horror film by renowned director, Guillermo del Toro. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasglow and also studied for two years at the Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramatico in Madrid.
When Muñoz learned about the role, he asked his brother to tell the producers he was interested but couldn't come since he was in London working on a different project. He was later contacted for an audition in Barcelona and two weeks after, the producers called him and offered him the lead role.
While he admits to having no idea about the saint before working on the movie, he had to extensively research by reading Ignacio's life story, visiting museums and interviewing Jesuit priests on what they think about the saint to prepare for the part.
Let's not forget about the other notable actors like Javier Godino as Santi, Julio Perillan as Padre Sanchez, Pepe Ocio as Montes and more who studied drama from prestigious universities and are accomplished actors in Spain.
4. A production guided by St. Ignatius himself
The first film of St. Ignatius of Loyola was made in the '40s in monochrome and lacked contemporary material on the saint which is why they decided it was time to make a new one. Produced by Jesuit Communications Philippines and by Filipino director Paolo Dy who also wrote the script, the film tells the failures and triumphs of the founder of the Jesuits.
JesCom Creative Director and Ignacio Producer Pauline Mangilog-Saltarin puts emphasis that P50 million is not a big amount when you shoot overseas and you have to pay everything. She says they felt the spiritual guidance of the saint from day 1 of shooting where they experienced a slew of problems – from looking for a flock of sheep to finding soil to cover up the already-cemented castle which was supposedly the castle of Loyola – on set which they've resolved immediately.
The post-production of the film was done in the Philippines using the latest in CGI, sound mixing and visual balancing to achieve a world-class film. The musical score was composed by Filipino musical legend Ryan Cayabyab directing the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and Ateneo Chamber Singers.
Bonus: Using a state-of-the-art film technology
Ignacio de Loyola was shot using the latest in the Alexa line of digital cinema cameras for an unshakable image quality and color. The ARRI Alexa XT has previously been used in popular films like The Life of Pi, Birdman, Zero Dark Thirty and Marvel's The Avenger. The Alexa line is known for rendering accurate human skin tones, a quality which is used by famous cinematographers and directors in the industry today.
In addition, cinematographer Lee Briones Meily chose the new Cooke Anamorphic/i series of lenses to incorporate a distinct look and personality on screen. Fun fact: at the time of filming, the crew was using one of only three of the complete sets of the lens series that existed in the world.
5. First ever Filipino film screened at the Vatican
This noteworthy project of Jesuit Communications Philippines was filmed in Spain with a Spanish cast at the sites where the historic events took place. What makes this film more exciting is it's the first ever Filipino film which was screened at the Vatican. The advanced screening of Ignacio de Loyola was on June 14 at the Filmoteca Vaticana in the Palazzo San Giorgio and was graced by the Jesuit General and his council.
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Discover for yourself the colorful tapestry of the life and legacy of St. Ignatius of Loyola — unravel his story on the big screen by watching Ignacio de Loyola. The film is produced by the Jesuit Communications Philippines and is now showing in cinemas nationwide. Visit the official website at http://www.ignaciomovie.com/.
