Review of the upcoming release of “Freetown”
Reviewed by various reviewers for the Association for Mormon Letters
I hope you all had a good Easter weekend, and joyed General Conference.
When we were asked to review this movie, I was really excited. We don’t often get a chance to review and publicize a work before it goes out to the general public. I contacted several of our reviewers and asked them to view the film and comment on it. The response was so gratifying! I also watched the movie and wondered just how I could properly review it. It was, for me, a game changer in my own perception of the fragility, not only of faith, but of life itself.
Most of us have never lived in a warn-torn country. What we see in the movies can be grim and bloody; one can only imagine the reality of living in the heat of battle. We complain about life and its challenges, but have we really ever been confronted with the overwhelming challenge of living in a place where every day could be our last?
The scourge of ethnic hatred and religious bigotry permeates every frame of this movie. Filmed in nearby Ghana and starring some of Africa’s most notable actors, *Freetown* brings to the Latter-day Saint audience, and, we hope, to a much larger audience, a story of grit and determination, faith and courage. It is releasing nationwide on Wednesday, April 8. Theaters showing the film are listed at the movie’s website, www.FreetowntheMovie.com. There you can watch a preview of the film and get a sense of the quality of the work — simply amazing.
Please note that this is a limited run. It would be so great if LDS viewers, and others who are interested in the film, could see it during the first weekend. This encourages further indie productions, and gives theater owners reason to keep showing them.
Now, without further ado, some notes from our reviewers. Please support this effort by attending a theater near you. JN
From Trevor Holyoak:
LDS Cinema has matured greatly in recent years and Freetown is the latest iteration. From the makers of “The Saratov Approach,” it is based on a true story about missionaries that get caught in a civil war in Liberia in the 1990s and make their way to safety in Freetown, Sierra Leone. (The actual story may be read in the June 2014 Ensign at https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/06/the-lord-provided-a-way?lang=eng ). The movie is very well done and tells a story that is both uplifting and suspenseful.
It was filmed on location in Ghana (which is just a little east of where events actually took place), using local crews and actors. The acting is surprisingly good for a low budget film. However, although (as far as I could tell) the dialogue was all in English, some of it was difficult for me to understand, and subtitles would have been very helpful. (This is something I expect will be easily remedied when it is released for home viewing.)
I approached the movie having only the vague idea that it was about missionaries in Africa. I found the first part of the movie a little confusing, not always being able to tell whether scene changes were flashbacks or events happening simultaneously elsewhere. However, once it really got going, the story fell into place. It may be helpful to already be somewhat familiar with what happened.
The civil war is between the government (led by a member of the Krahn tribe) and rebel soldiers that want to kill everyone sympathetic with or belonging to the Krahns. The missionaries have found it unsafe to teach and have been reduced to hiding, particularly one of the missionaries who is a Krahn. They decide to escape the country and go to Freetown, where their mission president is. With the assistance of a local member who has a small car, they beat all odds through a series of miracles and safely make their way.
The movie is rated PG-13. There is nothing particularly objectionable in it – even the violence is entirely off screen (although gunshots can be heard) – but the subject matter is probably not appropriate for younger kids. Many topics are addressed, such as courage and integrity in the face of death, hatred of fellow man, faith when it seems there is no hope, and confusion resulting from learning about the LDS priesthood ban.
Freetown should do well in theaters with both Mormon and non-Mormon audiences, although Mormons will definitely understand some aspects better. It has action and suspense and yet is also uplifting and faith-promoting, which certainly makes it more worthwhile than many films one generally finds in theaters.
From Trudy Thompson:
In 1989, extremists within the fraudulently elected government in Liberia began showing ethnic favoritism to the Krahn tribe. The rebels who opposed this new government would seek out and kill anyone who was a Krahn or were sympathetic to them. The rebel thugs would shoot you if they didn’t like the way you looked or what you wore, and often killed for food and money.
It is against this backdrop that the movie “Freetown” is set. Based on a true story, the gripping opening scene draws you into the drama of the time and place of this terror. A missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is driving down a muddy dirt road in the countryside. He has been sent to the area by the mission president, to lead the other missionaries there. The mission president admonishes him to “look after them, keep them safe,” and states that “once things have stabilized in the country, they’ll be a force for good.” When his car gets stuck in the mud, he suddenly notices rebel fighters coming out of the bushes who quickly surround his car, firing their machine guns as they approach. The tense situation is peacefully resolved when the missionary remains calm and quietly offers the rebels water and explains that the car belongs to his church and that he is a volunteer for the church.
Thus begins the story of Latter-day Saint missionaries literally trapped inside a civil war-torn country. This small band of young men must decide whether to stay inside, off the streets and wait it out, or to desperately try to escape the chaos and violence, and try to reach a “safe” area, where they can continue to do the work they were called to do.
Either way, the danger is high, the food and petro are in short supply, and they would have to band together, exhibit extraordinary faith and courage, and rely on their prayers for peace and safety. After much discussion, they finally reach a consensus, and their decision leads them through many other obstacles, roadblocks, and dangers.
Bravery, courage and cowardice, faith and fear, and truth and deceit are examined. They all know that everyone involved will be forever changed by this war and this experience. This is a test of their faith and all that they believe in.
This movie, from the makers of “The Saratov Approach” and “Saints and Soldiers,” is a story of faith and survival and freedom, and the determination of seven men who forge an everlasting friendship through the tests and trials they face.
From Beth Roach:
The story in the movie *Freetown* starts out as a normal day taking care of business that quickly turns into a fight for survival and hope as both sides of a brutal civil war clash in Monrovia, Liberia in 1990. Caught between the warring factions are six Latter-day Saint missionaries who decide they must either stay and hide or try to make a run for freedom at any cost. Filmed in Ghana and based on a true story, *Freetown* shows a side of courage and religious faith that is not always evident; that living by faith in something is hard, unglamorous, exhausting, dirty work but also optimistic, ingenious and at times, humorous. Director Garrett Batty (*Saratov Approach*) and producer Adam Abel (*Saints and Soldiers*) retrace the escape path of six Latter-day Saint missionaries and their driver over the muddy roads and checkpoints as they struggle to find and follow the strength they will need to elude those who want to kill them.
The story centers on Latter-day Saint elders, but the women in the movie are also portrayed as courageous and strong as they face life and death decisions affecting them and their families. They and their children are left to deal with the ravages of war in their homes and towns. The movie asks the questions of what would each of us do if we had to die for who we are or lie and betray ourselves to live. The word that kept coming to me as I watched this was, “Stunning!” It showed me what real problems are, not just the mundane petty things I deal with that I call problems. It gave me hope and courage; it was inspiring, heart-warming and chilling all in the same film. I liked how the characters used their faith to support each other when things were hard.
We all need each other and when we come to the end of where we can go by ourselves, there is someone waiting there to carry our burden a little way so we can go a few more steps to freedom and the life we want. Amazing movie that I would let my 10 year old watch as most of the violence takes place off screen and the sounds indicate what happens.
I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for an inspirational story of courage against incredible odds and the passion of the human spirit.