At the end of July, we commemorate the feast of one of the great saints – St. Ignatius of Loyola. He is associated with deep spirituality, the founding of the Jesuit order, and spiritual guidance. But who was he originally? The film Ignatius of Loyola from 2016 answers this question very captivatingly.
This powerful biographical film takes us to the 16th century, a time of Spanish wars, human vices, but also of knightly ideals. Íñigo López de Loyola is a man of the sword, honor, passion, adventure – and sin. But his life changes in an instant when he is injured in battle and confined to bed for many months. There begins what could be called the first encounter with grace.
You can watch the film IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA on the Christian streaming platform Filmana HERE.
After a long period of inner struggle, he reaches for the only books he has at hand – he reads biographies of saints. And while his body slowly heals, his soul begins to awaken. This is not some miraculous “enlightenment overnight.” Rather, it’s an inner struggle – raw, relentless, at times excruciating. This spiritual battle is wonderfully depicted in the film. Darkness and light. The desire for recognition, but also for God. Pride and humility.
What is powerful – and important for today’s time – is that the film does not idealize holiness. Ignatius made mistakes, searched for himself, went through doubts, inner struggles, and moments of emptiness. But God is not interested in who you were, but who you are now – and where you are headed.
The film contains harsh scenes – not for effect, but as a depiction of what happens in a person when they truly wrestle with themselves. When they long for freedom, but are still bound by old wounds and habits (sins of the past). The film shows that conversion is a journey. Sometimes painful, but beautiful. And above all – accessible to everyone.
It’s a film about hope. About the fact that life can be transformed – even when it starts in sin. About the fact that the church is alive, full of contradictions, action, and silence, passion, and humility – and that it is here for everyone who wants to seek. And that listening is the path that leads to unity. A theme that we are strongly experiencing today even through the synodal path of the church.
“What matters is not how. But why – and for whom?”
Ignatius of Loyola is not just a historical film. It is a film about a man who fell – and got up. Who loved the wrong things – and learned to love the right ones. It is an invitation for us to discover that it is never too late. And that God, who loves us, does not say a word of reproach – only quietly invites us further.
“We owe so much to our Lord for his many gifts. After all, we tire of receiving his gifts far sooner than he tires of giving them to us.”
You can watch the film IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA on the Christian streaming platform Filmana:
https://filmana.cz/cs/film/73-ignac-z-loyoly and on apps for TVs and mobile devices.
Marek Poštulka, Filmana