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From Universal to Personal: Director Josepmaria Anglès and Mauricio Sartorius on Why We Need Stories Like 'Just Javier’ Today

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<div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786497595692Still from JUST JAVIER - 2 - Javier at Peru.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Still from <em>Just Javier</em>: Javier at Peru</span></span></span></div><p>There are times when life feels like a competition, a race, or a constant uphill battle. Sometimes, consciously or subconsciously, we work or pursue something to get recognized, to earn nods of approval, to receive awards, or to get richer. And so, one of the lines that stood out to me in the Spanish documentary film <strong><em>Just Javier</em></strong> inspires a moment of deep reflection: “Is that all there is to it?” Without the flashy things on the surface that make one&#x27;s life seem more successful and happier, what&#x27;s left in your life? </p><p>I don&#x27;t know who needs to read this today, but it&#x27;s a great reminder: there is more to life than worldly success. That was what <strong>Javier Sartorius Milans del Bosch</strong> realized at one point in his colorful life. Javier was a young, handsome man who seemed to have it all. He loved socializing and partying. He came from one of Spain&#x27;s aristocratic families, had a successful career as a paddle tennis champion, and was well on his way to forging a path in the field of business as he took up Business Administration in the US. </p><p>It takes courage to achieve dreams, but it takes an even greater deal of courage to let go of them. Despite his achievements and promising future, Javier found that he was searching for something more meaningful in life. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="925" height="525" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KxmUiyLhmM8?si=vc5hKDB3lE1aMK5r" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Spiritual awakening</strong></div><p><strong>Mauricio Sartorius</strong>, Javier&#x27;s older brother, remembers him as a troublemaker. &quot;He was always questioning everything… He would go radical on everything. If he would drink, he would really drink. If he would go out, he would really go out. He would not leave, like, medium things, like halfway. No, no, he would try everything all the way,” Mauricio recalled. </p><p>After living a comfortable life with his family in Spain, Javier went to the United States, where he had to grow up and be independent. One trip, one person, and one encounter changed the course of his future. A trip to Los Angeles exposed him to homeless communities, and his encounters with them were so eye-opening that he felt compelled to embark on an unexpected spiritual journey. </p><p>Mauricio shared, “The first contact that Javier had in Venice Beach, Los Angeles with the homeless started him really questioning, ‘What&#x27;s all this about?’ He would ask, ‘Why am I born?’ [We came from a] Spanish family, traditional. And this guy is lying on the floor.”</p><p>As someone who always went all-out in everything he did, Javier didn&#x27;t want to leave that encounter at that. “Javier decided to go radical, and he spent some time living in the street, basically,” Mauricio said. “And that obviously was when he started going in and understanding that his happiness doesn&#x27;t come from outside, but from inside, from having experiences with people who have nothing.”</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786497983031Still from JUST JAVIER - 3 - Encounter with a homeless person by the beach.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Still from <em>Just Javier</em>: Encounter with a homeless person by the beach</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Javier&#x27;s story is inspiring in more ways than one, and you could feel its positive energy seeping through the pixels of the big screen. But the way his story is told with so much heart and intentionality to move the audience is another thing. To bring Javier&#x27;s life to life and relive it onscreen as authentically as possible, the production crew had to immerse themselves in his world, specifically in a sanctuary in Spain where he entered a contemplative life and discovered the hidden treasure he was seeking for so long. </p><p>“The production team spent their time in the sanctuary, really getting in-depth about what living in silence means, understanding Javier&#x27;s life,” Mauricio said.</p><p>Director and screenwriter <strong>Josepmaria Anglès</strong> looked back on almost two years spent putting this documentary together, saying, “After reading some of Javier&#x27;s very beautiful letters to his family, seeing the way he lived faith and understood faith and life, we said, ‘Wow, it&#x27;s real.’ I mean, it deserves a big movie!” </p><p>Josepmaria said that the first word that comes to mind when he thinks of Javier and his life is authenticity. Having learned about Javier from his own writings and the interviews with those whose lives he touched, Josepmaria realized, “He wanted to give 100% of himself. And we can say more spiritually eventually, like he wanted to make his life as beautiful as God wanted it to be—by loving one another, by a life of prayer and contemplation.”</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786498100933Still from JUST JAVIER - 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>“One of the things I&#x27;ve been trying to convey to people is, actually, I don&#x27;t care about the number, but about the hearts that are touched. For me, it&#x27;s important that it reaches as many hearts as possible because, I mean, we need stories like this for heart-changing,” Mauricio said. “I mean, if I look from the outside to the world, all I see is bad news, everything negative. And what I&#x27;m trying to tell people is, there is hope.”</p><p>There&#x27;s so much noise in the world, and it&#x27;s become so hard to hear ourselves yearning for calm, stillness, and peace from within. </p><p>But a few moments of silence, seeing this story in the cinema, could mean another inspired soul to continue the cycle of kindness. “Not all of us are called to have Javier&#x27;s life,” Mauricio noted. “But we are all called, in our context, to live basically the <em>Solo Javier</em> story.” You know how movies sometimes have sequels, and so Mauricio said to me, “I tell people as a joke, saying, ‘Okay, Grace, let me tell you something. Next chapter of <em>Solo Javie</em><em>r</em><em></em>, the next documentary is going to be called <em>Solo Grace</em>.’” It&#x27;s going to be about the people who resonated with Javier’s story and were so deeply moved by it that they lived with love, hope, and faith. </p><p>“I hope that we don&#x27;t take this as like, ‘Oh, Javier&#x27;s life is so extraordinary.’ No, you can do the same,” Mauricio said. The purpose <em>Just Javier </em>s<em></em>erves is to pull you out from all that noise and bring you to a place of enlightenment, inspiring you to reflect on your own journey by listening to what God is telling you and the mission he intends for you to take on.  </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786498293532Still from JUST JAVIER - 4 - Javier at Hare Krishna Rezando templo.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Still from <em>Just Javier</em>: Javier at Hare Krishna Rezando templo</span></span></span></div><p>“The documentary is about being grateful,” shared Mauricio. “And then this gratefulness should lead to what I call generosity, and it&#x27;s not related to money. Gratefulness and generosity together. Generosity, meaning, give a smile to your neighbor when you get up, to your co-worker that you don&#x27;t like maybe… You go to Burger King, and you say to the waiter or waitress, ‘Hello, what&#x27;s your name?’ You know, small things.” </p><p>You never know when a simple act of kindness might be the light someone needs in their darkest hour. Or maybe you need to be a little kinder to yourself and not put yourself under so much pressure. One thing&#x27;s for sure: one way or another, <em>Just Javier</em> will bring you a moment of clarity, opening your eyes and heart to what happiness, fulfillment, and wealth truly mean.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786498373572Still from JUST JAVIER - 4 - Javier at Hare Krishna Rezando templo 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p><em>JUST JAVIER</em> is directed by Josepmaria Anglès and produced by <strong>Adauge</strong>. Spanish film production and distribution company <strong>Bosco Films</strong> has brought this documentary film to the Philippines for a limited time, beginning <strong>August 12, 2026</strong>, exclusively in select<strong> Ayala Malls Cinemas</strong> nationwide: MAKATI CITY (Greenbelt, Glorietta, Circuit), PASIG CITY (Feliz), QUEZON CITY (Trinoma, U.P. Town Center), PARAÑAQUE CITY (Manila Bay), TAGUIG (Bonifacio High Street), CEBU (Central Bloc), CAYAGÁN DE ORO (Centrio), and BACOLOD (Capitol Central).</p><div><br/></div><p>Photos courtesy of <strong>Bosco Films</strong></p>

<p>I don't know who needs to read this today, but it's a great reminder: there is more to life than worldly success, and the story of "Just Javier" makes one realize what truly matters in life.</p>

I don't know who needs to read this today, but it's a great reminder: there is more to life than worldly success, and the story of "Just Javier" makes one realize what truly matters in life.

Why We Need Stories Like 'Just Javier': A Conversation with Josepmaria Anglès and Mauricio Sartorius

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Why We Need Stories Like 'Just Javier': A Conversation with Josepmaria Anglès and Mauricio Sartorius

Grace Libero

Published August 12, 2026 09:35 AM PHT

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Updated August 12, 2026 09:36 AM PHT

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