Pinoy perfect: Scholar aces 4 years in Toronto university

MAGNO Guidote, 25, missed the June 15 graduation rites at the University of Toronto.

That, however, has not diminished the luster of the Rundle Gold Medal, an award bestowed on him for achieving a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in the bachelor of commerce program at the Rotman School of Management.

With the distinction, he has joined the ranks of Blackberry-Research in Motion co-

AN ADVANCE screening of “Ignacio de Loyola” was held Tuesday last week in the Vatican, a first for a Filipino film.

The screening at the Filmoteca Vaticana at the Palazzo San Giorgio was attended by Catholic Church officials and the media. It will premiere in the Philippines in July, according to a press statement.

The movie is an ambitious project of Jesuit Communications (Jescom) Philippines and depicts the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (SJ). It was written and directed by Paolo Dywith the assistance of his wife, Cathy, and Jesuit consultants. The musical score was conducted by Ryan Cayabyab, directing the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. Postproduction was done entirely in the Philippines.

The movie was filmed in Spain at the site where the historic events happened. The Spanish cast was led by Andreas Muñoz, who began his acting career as a child star.

The film was conceived in response to a lack of contemporary material on St. Ignatius of Loyola. The last feature was in the 1940s, in black and white and in Spanish.

The new film shows how a young Iñigo Lopez de Loyola struggles to make sense of his life after his ambition to distinguish himself in a military career was thwarted when he was crippled in the Battle of Pamplona in 1521.

Eventually, Iñigo realizes there is a larger spiritual struggle worthy of his efforts. Going on a long pilgrimage from his hometown in the Basque region of Guipúzcoa to Montserrat and a month-long seclusion in the caves in nearby Manresa, Iñigo is transformed into a knight of God. The old Iñigo dies and Ignatius is born.

The screening was attended by the Jesuit General, Fr. Adolfo Nicholas, SJ and his council; the Superior General of the St. Paul de Chartres and her council; Sisters of Sacro Costato; Dr. Claudia di Giovanni of the Vatican Secretariat for Social Communication, and others.

Also in attendance were Anna de Simone of TV 2000 and Vatican TV, who interviewed director Paolo Dy.