The Mission | |
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Directed by | |
Produced by |
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Cinematography | Thorsten Thielow |
Edited by | Aaron Wickenden |
Music by | |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Picturehouse Altitude Film Sales (Internationally)[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $58,639[2][3] |
The Mission is a 2023 American documentary film directed and produced by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss. It explores the death of American missionary John Allen Chau, who was killed by arrows during a self-initiated mission involving an indigenous group of the Andaman Islands, the Sentinelese.
It had its world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023, and was released on October 13, 2023, by Picturehouse.
In 2018, John Allen Chau, an American missionary, went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He then illegally attempted to make contact with one of the world's most isolated indigenous peoples, the uncontacted and legally protected Sentinelese. After bribing fishermen to take him to North Sentinel Island, Chau was killed by them. The film explores his life and death. Levi Davis, a fellow student of Chau's, historian Adam Goodheart, and professor and former missionary Daniel Everett appear in the film.[4]
It had its world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023.[5][6] It also screened at the Camden International Film Festival on September 15, 2023.[7][8] and the BFI London Film Festival on October 8, 2023.[9][10] It was released on October 13, 2023, by Picturehouse.[11]
On Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 51 reviews are considered positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The Mission's compassionate and nuanced approach to retelling a real-life tragedy makes this an engrossing exploration of the intersection between delusion and faith."[12] As per Metacritic, the film has received "generally favorable reviews", with a weighted average score of 74/100 based on 12 critics' ratings.[13]