Around ten years ago, I bought a book called “The Living Wood” by best-selling author Louis de Wohl. I had little idea what it was about or who the author was. Little did I know still, that this book would take me on its own adventure.
Briefly put, the book is about the life of Saint Helen and her son Constantine, and how they transformed the Roman world in their own ways. Helen, motivated by her father’s mystical prophecy and a life of hardship and loss, will go on to discover the Cross Christ was crucified on. Her son Constantine follows in his father’s footsteps as Caesar and Emperor through conquest – all the while transforming the Roman Empire from pagan to Christian.
It’s a fantastic story with mystical overlays but what really gets me is that this is a piece of historical fiction by Louis de Wohl (1903-1961). While the dialogue and much of the characters’ lives are imagined, they revolve around real-life events and history. Helen really did find the Cross upon which Christ died upon in 326 A.D. When she retraced the steps of Christ leading up to Golgotha, she founded many orphanages and churches. She founded the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, visited by countless millions every year, above the very spot. The Emperor Constantine the Great, by turning Rome Christian, transformed the entire world with it. An empire which once ruled by fear and domination will now carry Christ’s example and glory. He united all the bishops of the world and together they came up with the Nicene Creed – a universal statement of belief echoed by Christians in every age and country to this very day.
Despite their impacts on world history, exactly 700 years ago, the only real times we hear of Helen is when one refers to the volcano in Washington. We also know about the Nicene or Apostles’ Creed, but not the events which led to that moment. Or about the bestselling author, Louis de Wohl, who served Britian’s MI6 versus Germany during World War II. I felt it was time, therefore, that the world should know about these monumental figures using today’s language of stories everyone speaks – the cinema and moving picture.
Last October (2025), after having the book for around ten years, I started to research on how to convert “The Living Wood” from a novel into film. I chased down the literary agent and learned the basics of scriptwriting, including enrolling in such a course at NYU. Six months later, I had a script. Now what? I next researched how to get scripts out there. I discovered a pitch deck expert who’s done countless pitch decks for projects, many of which have gotten made. He not only helped me with creating a compelling presentation, but also with etiquette and strategy when reaching producers and filmmakers. I also had a script editor and writer comb through the script for proper formatting and story quality. I also submitted the script for US copyright – of which certificate I just received a few days ago!
Fast forward to today – July 2026 and my journey and new Dream have taken me to California – Napa Valley, to be specific. Napa Valley is home to Napa Institute’s Arts Festival, which celebrates, promotes and uplifts Christian and Catholic filmmakers. I had the opportunity to visit with like-minded producers, directors and other filmmakers – who are really at the very top of their craft and many who have been very successful. Alejandro Monteverde, who directed “Bella”, “Sound of Freedom” and “Cabrini,” gave a fantastic talk – as well as Michael Iskander, who plays David on “House of David”. I got to share a little about my project and background. While I did have difficulty hearing others in the loud hallways, I do believe some doors have been opened – in a way that only God could.
It also afforded me time to spend with my mother as we were able to tour Napa Valley and enjoy our time there. I’ve been to beautiful San Francisco and that area before, but I decided on renting a self-driving Tesla to take us through, and wow, did that machine deliver!
Anyways, this is where life has taken me today! Like my earlier namesake and role model from growing up, “Rudy” Ruettiger was once a fellow who wanted to make a movie. It is fitting, then, that like the football Dreams we both once had, I would shoot my shot in the magical world of cinema.
Next to church and the football field, the cinema is a magical place all it’s own. I’ve never forgotten seeing the Tyrannosaurus Rex roar for the first time in “Jurassic Park.” Or the immersiveness of the “Star Wars” galaxy. With this film, I want audiences to witness, with Helen, a time of great upheaval in the Roman Empire, to share in the many personal pains and losses she experienced, and ultimately, emotionally and triumphantly, uncover with her the Cross of Christ.
If you could, keep this project (and me!) in your prayers. You can learn more about the project at www.theLivingWood.com. You can also email me too if interested in learning more or helping it along too.
“Never put a lid on God. You can give God a thimble and ask for a quart. It won’t work. Your plans, your projects, your dreams have to always be bigger than you, so God has room to operate. I want you to get good ideas, crazy ideas, extravagant ideas. Nothing is too much for The Lord to do – accent on ‘The Lord.”
― Mother Angelica
