Author Tony Hawks Hosts Charity Film Screening at St Mary's

Last week (Wednesday 6^th March), popular British author and comedian Tony Hawks presented a charity screening of his book-turned-film Playing the Moldovans at Tennis at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham. Tony was joined by the Moldovan ambassador to the UK, Iulian Fruntasu, who met with St Mary’s Interim Principal Dr Arthur Naylor before the film screening. Students and staff attended the screening, which was held in the newly opened Pete Postlethwaite Picture House in aid of Tony Hawks’ charity foundation, Centrul Tony Hawks, which raises money for Moldovan children who have chronic illnesses such as cerebral palsy. The film is based on the internationally best-selling book of the same title, which sees Tony make a quirky wager that he could track all 11 of the Moldovan football team and beat them at tennis. He plans to use the material as the basis of a new book, but soon finds out that he might have bitten off more than he can chew. About the film Tony commented, “The book came about as part of a daft bet with a friend and was then developed into the film. “It turned out to be a real struggle to get the players to take part in the challenge, and I was being told no left-right-and-centre. There were points when I thought I would give up, but I persevered and it has made for a good story and hopefully a good film.”