MOVIE REVIEW: Freetown – A Riveting Account of Modern-Day Miracles

Photo Courtesy of Freetown

You don’t have to look far to find a real-life hero.

That is what stood out to me while speaking with Marcus Menti, one of the eight LDS missionaries who miraculously fled the Liberian civil war in 1990 and whose story is told in the new movie Freetown.  I attended a pre-screening of the movie and had the privilege of speaking with Menti as well as the makers of the movie.

The film details the missionaries’ 370 mile treacherous trek across Liberia to the safety of the mission home in Freetown. Accompanied by their driver, a member of the local branch presidency, the eight men set out in a Toyota Corolla with the odds stacked against them including being pursued by rebel fighters.  From the joy and vibrancy of the opening baptism scene to the heart-stopping and soul-searching moments in a line-up confronted by rebels, this film reminds us that there is a time to laugh, a time to weep, and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

When director Garrett Batty (Saratov Approach) and producer Adam Abel (Saints and Soldiers) set out to film Freetown, they also faced the process of locating the original eight missionaries – a task that could be compared to finding a needle in a haystack. Several of the missionaries were found in Canada and Africa, but they were still looking for Menti at the completion of the film.

Unbeknownst to them, Marcus Menti was living in Utah. He contacted them after hearing about a movie preview for Freetown appearing prior to Meet the Mormons. Menti attended many of the screenings of the movie and brought an added perspective and personal touch at the question and answer sessions held after. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from the original missionaries and actors from the film at the premiere on April 6th – tickets available here.

Photo Courtesy of Freetown

Often the most life-changing stories are discovered in the least likely places. From letters in archives to the big screen, Freetown brings to light the story of these missionaries as well as the history of the Liberian civil war.

Batty and Abel were thrilled to connect with Menti whose story the movie is based on. The movie came about after Batty was inspired by an lds.org article detailing the missionaries struggles and triumphs (read more here) and he set out to further research the story in the LDS Church’s archives.  There he discovered letters the missionaries had written to their mission president describing their heaven-aided experiences during the civil war.

These letters were written at the encouragement of a senior missionary, Walter Stewart, then serving in Freetown. As the missionaries recovered from their long journey and bouts of malaria, Stewart urged them to write down their experiences. As a result, we now have this real-life story of modern-day miracles.

Speaking with Menti, a theme from Freetown becomes quite clear – keep moving forward. This theme is close to my heart and the pulse of this blog. As we learn what keeps others moving forward, often we find the strength and inspiration needed to keep moving forward in our own lives. Underlying Menti’s soft-spoken voice and humility, I sensed a deep current of faith and conviction of his beliefs.

Photo Courtesy of Freetown

When I asked Menti what he hoped that people would gain from the movie and the sharing of his experiences, he responded,

“The spirit is the same. It doesn’t matter whether you are a member in Africa or a member in the United States, whether you are a Relief Society visiting teacher or missionary. You are where you are for a reason. Whatever station you are in, keep creating opportunities to keep pressing forward.”

As we further talked, the intense emotions brought to the surface from revisiting the events in the movie were apparent, but even more visible was a strong desire for the message of the movie to be shared. Both Menti and those who made the movie hope that movie goers will recognize the role God plays in the crossroads of their lives.

Photo Courtesy of Freetown

Freetown continues Batty and Abel’s history of films promoting faith over fear.

“We hope people will see the relevancy of eight missionaries in Africa in their own life. The obstacles they face are different, but the approach can be similar. You have to keep moving forward,” said Abel.

Throughout the movie, the missionaries sought divine help as they surmounted what seemed like an impossible task. From pot holes to perilous rebel check points, the missionaries attributed their safety to God and the help of Saints and good people along the way.

Photo Courtesy of Freetown

Freetown was filmed on location in Ghana with many of the main characters and all of the extras being from Ghana. Read more about the world-wide premiere that took place there in this Deseret News article.  Batty and Abel were able to take an inflatable movie screen and sound system to the remote villages where they filmed to provide the extras with what turned out to be the first film experience for many people .

Photo Courtesy of Freetown

Get tickets here to Monday night’s premiere at Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons. Freetown will open in theaters across the country on April 8 including in Los Angeles and Times Square. Tickets are available right now nationwide here.

“It’s an inspiration and a gift,” said film distributor, Brandon Purdie,  “It’s made for everybody.”

To hear more about the movie, check out this podcast interview of Garrett Batty and screenwriter Melissa Larson by Radio Gold Productions

For more information, check out the Freetown web-site and follow them on social media.

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