MANILA, Philippines — Waves of doubt. Pangs of envy. Stab of jealousy. Onrush of anger. Paralyzing fear.

No human being is spared of these dragons that well up inside him, many times, against his better desires.

Facing up to these dragons is the theme of director Roland Joffe’s latest film, ‘”There Be Dragons,’’ an epic tale of revolutionaries and saints in a time of civil war, a story of love and heroism amid jealousy, hatred and violence, and a heartbreaking drama about the power of forgiveness to break the chains of the past. Joffe is the award-winning director of ‘’The Killing Fields’’ and ‘’The Mission.’’

The film begins with investigative journalist Robert Torres (Dougray Scott), researching on Josemaría Escrivá (Charlie Cox), the controversial founder of Opus Dei. But his most promising source — his father Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley) — refuses to cooperate. Robert learns that Manolo and Josemaria are childhood friends. But with the onset of the Spanish Civil War, they take radically different paths: Josemaría dedicates his life to his faith while Manolo is swept into the brutal and tumultuous war. Manolo descends into a dangerous and jealous obsession when the beautiful Hungarian revolutionary Ildiko (Olga Kurylenko) doesn’t return his affections and instead gives herself to the courageous military leader, Oriol (Rodrigo Santoro).

As Robert continues to unearth the secrets of Josemaría’s life and Manolo’s mysterious anger, their overlapping journeys are revealed with the truths and sorrows of their past choices, which compels Manolo to confront his own secret with one last opportunity of forgiveness.

Dragonslayers speak

Director Roland Joffe wanted to make a story which centers on bringing love to the world, and shows what the absence of love does to the world. ‘’What the film shows is that forgiveness is possible; that seemingly meaningless acts are capable of generating responses that lead to healing. The inexhaustible possibility of forgiveness is what offers room for hope,’’ Joffe says.

To allow many people to join the conversation, www.dragons.ph., an online community advocating cinema as a tool for change, has been put up . There is a Slayerspeak portion which is an invitation to share on dragonslaying tips, or nuggets of wisdom to help others discover and overcome dragons in their lives.

Since its inception early this month, Dragonslayers have contributed many tips, some serious, others wacky, but all of them, useful.

Take this from June on guilt: Say sorry.

Or from Charlotte on doubt: I think therefore I am. Descartes attempted to dispel doubt with the this formula. Although the conclusion doesn’t solve the problem of doubt, at least he proposed a correct premise which is to think. He should have said, I think therefore I am less doubtful.

From Cox on gratitude: Slay the green-eyed dragon with gratitude. There is calm and contentment in a life filled with gratitude and appreciation for what one has.

And from CD on fear: I believe what Master Yoda said about fear, that “it’s the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”. Whenever you feel afraid, whisper a favourite prayer from childhood.

Dragonslaying is something we badly need today, as individuals and even as a nation. There’s too much hurt and resentment that we can hardly afford at this moment in our history when the task of nationbuilding is pressing.

There Be Dragons opens on November 9 at SM North Edsa, Trinoma, SM Megamall, Glorietta 4, Festival Mall and SM Southmall.