Docu-Drama Focuses on Martyred Missionaries
by Rebecca Grace
November 15, 2005
(AgapePress) - - In 1956 two worlds collided, beginning a journey beyond fear, beyond violence, beyond forgiveness. Now, Twentieth Century Fox goes beyond the big screen to bring a story of faith and forgiveness to the hearts of millions with its recent home video release of Beyond the Gates of Splendor.Based on a true story inspired by Elisabeth Elliot's best-seller, Through Gates of Splendor, this award-winning documentary-drama highlights the lives of five North American missionaries -- Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully and Roger Youderian -- who were brutally slain by the savage Waodani tribe in Ecuador. Vintage 16-mm films and still photographs combined with re-enactments and personal interviews of the surviving family members and Waodani tribesmen provide audiences with an authentic portrayal of a tragedy turned to triumph.
Instead of seeking revenge on the violent Waodani tribe, who had a homicide rate of 60 percent, Saint's sister along with Elliot's wife and daughter went to live with the Waodani people and became family to them. As a result, the introduction of God's Word began to change the tribesmen's hearts, and the homicide rate fell by 90 percent.
The 96-minute documentary is directed by Jim Hanon and narrated by Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint. Audiences become one with this riveting love story through the personal experiences of those who lived it. The film's message speaks to the core of Christianity by presenting viewers with the opportunity to examine what it truly means to be a lover of Christ.
Beyond the Gates of Splendor is a product of Every Tribe Entertainment and is available on DVD and VHS. It is rated PG-13 for violence and thematic elements. It is also important to note that the film contains nudity as common to the natural tribal environment.
End of the Spear
, a feature film based on the documentary, is set to release in theaters January 20, 2006.
Rebecca Grace, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is staff writer for AFA Journal, a publication of the American Family Association. This article, reprinted with permission, appeared in the November/December 2005 issue.
