HEROES LIVE FOREVER
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Description: HEROES LIVE FOREVER
Author: De La Salle

When you think about how biographical documentaries come to fruition, all it really takes is one talented film maker who is passionate about the life or work of an extraordinary individual.

A film maker’s dedication and commitment sees someone’s life honoured or in some cases exposed, depending on their subject.

In the 2000 years that Catholicism has been part of our lives, biographical documentaries have emerged of people like Mary of Nazareth, Moses, Mother Teresa, Noah and of course Jesus. And now another inspirational Catholic has joined the list of those to be immortalised on film, this time for an Australian/New Zealand audience – the patron saint of Christian teachers and founder of the De La Salle Brothers, John Baptist de La Salle.

The story of St John Baptist de La Salle has inspired millions across the world for centuries. His work with the poor and marginalised has led to honouring this one-time priest turned Brother through thousands of statues which have been erected in his memory world wide.

In December 2008, Tom McIlroy and Dave Collins travelled to Europe on a shoestring budget to film Beyond Statues and Doors: in the footsteps of De La Salle. Filmed at various sites which were significant in John Baptist de La Salle’s life in France and Italy, the documentary provides insight into the challenges he faced in establishing free and Christian schools.

“Dave and I were involved in Youth Ministry with the De La Salle Brothers for three years and our role involved educating students about the life of John Baptist de La Salle. While some young people knew about key moments in his life, they were excited to hear about some of the more mysterious events and characters in the story. It prompted us to explore developing a new resource which would delve into de La Salle’s life in an engaging way,” said Tom.

Tom says that their journey was much the same as any number of backpackers in Europe last winter – it involved hostels, trains, quick stops for lunch and inexpensive dinners accompanied by a cheap bottle of wine.  The only difference was that their entire experience was based around telling the story of John Baptist de La Salle.

“Seeing the sites of his life was a rare privilege for two people who had heard and spoken so much about De La Salle. Conscious that many others wouldn’t have the same experience which we learnt so much from, we put a lot of work into recreating it on screen. Anyone who is interested in learning about de La Salle’s life and work can now take this extraordinary look at his life with us,” Tom said.

Beyond Statues and Doors is available for a small fee of $10 which covers production and postage costs. Visit www.beyondstatuesanddoors.com for details.