Roland Joffe Tackles Opus Dei Myths In New Film

Revered moviemaker ROLAND JOFFE is to further expose secret Catholic Church organisation Opus Dei in a new movie set around the Spanish Civil War.

The sinister sect was largely vilified in Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code and its accompanying film, but now The Mission director is set to give the group a public relations boost in his new film There Be Dragons.

The movie, which stars former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, Dougray Scott and Wes Bentley, focuses in part on the life of Opus Dei founder Jose Maria Escriva, who was made a saint in 2002.

Joffe has revealed to Reuters he worked with a member of Opus Dei on the set, making sure religious facts and historical items were accurate.

And he tells the news organisation that reports Opus Dei is all powerful are greatly exaggerated: "How could it be influential? It could have influence, I suppose, in the church. I checked up to find out how many cardinals were in Opus Dei and I think there may be one."

--IANS-WENN