Don’t Lose Sight Of What Really Matters
We can get so caught up in the dizzying flurry of everything—success, fun, relationships, work, responsibilities, dreams and goals, that it becomes so easy to forget what’s truly important. Perhaps it’s one reason I often write about it, as a constant reminder to keep from getting sucked in by these flash-in-the-pan moments and concerns. Because to lose sight of the essential is to lose ourselves, and no amount of superficial accomplishment can help us find our way back.
Shirt, Bayo. Pants, Mango. Element Refine sneakers, Adidas. Locket, Muse by Silverworks. Glasses, SM Accessories. Hype on Lookbook here, Chictopia here.
These things came to mind when I learned recently that a producer friend of mine is trying to make a full-length film about St. Ignatius de Loyola, Filipino-produced but with a Spanish cast. As a young aristocrat he is described as a brash and impulsive youth who strutted around with his cape and sword. Ignatius had a vain passion for swordfighting, women, and fame. And then of course, his turning point happens—he breaks a leg and wounds another when a cannonball hits him in battle, and a bedridden Ignatius takes to reading about the life of Jesus and the saints. Long story short, he gives up everything in favor of a life of virtue.
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As an Atenean who grew up wanting to be Atenean and singing Jesuit songs in Church, I’ve heard his story many times. But I believe it’s an inspiring story worth telling everyone, not only Catholics. Ignatian spirituality transcends faiths and shares basic principles with other denominations and schools of thought, rooted in detachment from worldly pleasures and a high regard for service to others.
The current attention on Pope Francis is causing a renewed interest in St. Ignatius. This year also happens to be the 200th anniversary of the Society of Jesus’ restoration after having been suppressed from 1773 to 1814. And with “El Capitan de Loyola” (a 1940s black and white Spanish film with English subs) being one of the very few ones about the saint, my friend Pol and her team at Jesuit Communications Foundation (JesCom) set out to do a full-length feature film and make a saint easy to relate to: to show how sainthood happened to him, and how it can happen to any of us today.
JesCom will shoot the film in the places associated with St. Ignatius: Montserrat, Manresa, Pamplona and Loyola in Spain. Through meticulous rendering of costumes, materials used and the prevailing culture during the life of St. Ignatius, “Ignacio” will evoke the exciting atmosphere of 16th century Spain and Europe.
“Ignacio” is set to premiere in the Philippines in August 2015. Of course, a project like this costs a lot: an estimated PHP30.5 million ($ 675,000) to produce. For this, JesCom launched a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo where people can donate anywhere between $5 to $10,000, and each level of donation comes with a thank you gift in the form of posters, digital copies, sound track, and special mention in the movie credits.
The current campaign has ended, but JesCom has only raised about 5% so there will be a second round. To learn more and/or donate, you can watch the concept teaser here, AVP here. Visit the “Ignacio” website at http://jescom.ph/IgnacioMovie or contact JesCom at 4265971 to 72 and esablan@admu.edu.ph. Join the conversation on Facebook here, and on Twitter the hashtags are #IgnacioMovie, #Jesuits and #AMDG.
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