THE MISSION

The filmmakers first learned about this seemingly implausible story in 2018 the same way most of the world did – through a New York Times headline which read “Isolated Tribe Kills American With Bow and Arrow on Remote Indian Island”. Apparently, a young missionary named John Chau, had been killed while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island in hopes of converting them to Christianity.  There were few details provided. Intrigued, Emmy^Ⓡ-winning directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (“Boys State”), set out to discover the story beyond the headlines. How did a handsome and intelligent young man from the Portland suburbs meet this unlikely end? The filmmakers had unprecedented access to Chau’s secret plans for a mission ten years in the making. There were also video archives and most remarkably, a 13-page personal diary that Chau kept leading up to his final approach to the island. Through interviews with his friends and fellow missionaries, the film examines the mythology of exploration that inspired Chau and the evangelical community that supported his quest. Chau’s father reveals his heartbreak as he watched his son’s youthful thirst for adventure ultimately become a fatal obsession. Q & A following screening.

103 min.