Dungog Film Festival

Presented by key creatives

Sunday, 30-May-2010

3:45 PM

at: James Theatre

Credits: Dir: Varcha Sidwell / Prod: Roar Film (Kath Symmons, Stephen Thomas) / 2009

Duration: 95 mins

Following on from the success of director Varcha Sidwell's series The Abbey, this documentary is a roller coaster ride of faith, dedication and culture shock. After hearing that three young Nigerian priests were being sent to Tasmania by their Bishop as missionaries, Sidwell managed to convince two Archbishops to grant her full access to gather rare behind-the-scenes footage of these working priests' lives. She filmed what they left behind in Nigeria and what they found in Tassie, after arriving in Hobart on the coldest day in Winter. The Mission follows Fathers Kene, Felix and Christopher. None of them have volunteered to come and have never left Africa before, but have been sent by their Bishop from Equatorial Nigeria to Australia. We journey with them to their assignments in the most remote corners of Tasmania. Will the missionaries cope with a climate they were told could kill them? Survive on food they've been told they won't be able to eat? Or will the dwindling congregations and the resistance of the local clergy towards them prove too hard a cross to bear? This is a fascinating look behind the cloth and two very different cultures, joined by only their faith.

+ Q&A session to follow screening.

www.themissiondoco.com

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