Roland Joffé Shows us Love, Hate, and Forgiveness in his New Movie

Roland Joffé Shows us Love, Hate, and Forgiveness in his New Movie

The director of “The Mission” returns with “There Be Dragons”, to be premiered on March 25th, 2011. Roland Joffé states: “Josemaria’s statement shocked me: one finds God in everyday life, and his everyday life is that of the Spanish Civil War”. Regardless of violent scenes, like all wars in fact, the final message of this upcoming movie is that of “forgiveness”: “it’s a message of forgiveness; forgiveness melts that which has been left frozen”.
When love rots, it leaves a deep emptiness inside one’s interior; one that could be healed by sour remedies. This intelligently elaborated story is like that of an arousing mystery: why is love so powerful? Why does it always surge up like a floating cork?
“There Be Dragons” is not a movie for faithful believers, reiterates the agnostic English director. Like in “The Killing Fields”, there is a journalist in search of documentation to write the biography of Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. While conducting his research, he finds out that the Opus Dei founder (played by Charlie Cox) and his father Manolo (played by Wes Bentley) were friends since childhood.

The project was offered to Hugh Hudson (“Charriots of Fire”) and González Iñárritu (“Beautiful”), however, it was Roland Joffé who accepted the offer. Joffé, dominated by the Academy for “The Killing Fields” (1984), as well as for “The Mission” (1986), accepted this challenge with the condition that he be the author of the script. The movie has a 30 million euro budget, and it is co-produced by Spain, Argentina, and the United States of America. The filming of the movie has being carried out by experts, such as Eugenio Zanetti (director of “Restoration”), fashion designer Ivonne Blake (Oscar for “Nicolas and Alexandra”), makeup artist Michele Burke (Oscar for “Quest for Fire” and “Dracula”), and last but not least, composer Stephen Warbeck (Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love”).

Joffé and this team have created a masterpiece that is moving and passionate. Furthermore, it is meant for a wide range of audience since it will premiere all around the world, if fact, with a special United States premier. (Translated by Gianna A. Sanchez-Moretti)

Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of publicity and press relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing.
clementeferrer3@gmail.com