There Be Dragons: A film that shows that forgiveness can change the future

….Why the fascination with There Be Dragons? Because a self-proclaimed ‘wobbly’ agnostic and two-time Oscar nominee, Roland Joffe, (The Killing Fields and The Mission) writes and directs a movie that focuses our attention on faith of all things and the “turning points in our lives where we’re faced with…choices that are going to affect our future…and how hard it is to escape cycles of hatred, resentment, and violence.” 

Hence, the title, There Be Dragons, is symbolic of the future challenges each of us face in life.  Ancient maps of the known world showed that the world was flat, and if you sailed far enough in any direction you fell off the edge of the world…into unchartered territory.  On this part of the map was written “Hic Sunt Dracones” (in Latin  â€œHere There Be Dragons” ca. 1503 – 1507) .  Joffe uses this expression to symbolize places where we don’t want to go – fears, uncertainties, temptations, decisions we must make…and how we have to face our ‘dragons.’ The movie is rich in symbolism , exploring our passions and what motivates the human heart: good vs. evil, free will, a love triangle, forgiveness, revenge, redemption are all profoundly portrayed.

Joffe deftly explains that There Be Dragons is about “bringing love to the world — the absence of love and what that does.  When loves goes it leaves a vacuum – and that vacuum can fill with very many unpleasant things: fear, hatred, despair….This movie is made for all human beings with the sure knowledge that all human beings count – all human beings have value — and all human beings, as St. Josemaria would say, are capable of being saints…”   

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