Legacy Report · April 8
·
2015
Freetown
From the director of The Saratov Approach and the producer of Saints and Soldiers
From the director of The Saratov Approach and the producer of Saints and Soldiers
Inspired by true events, Freetown tells the powerful story of faith and forgiveness during the brutal Sierra Leone civil war. The film brings the experience of missionaries to life for audiences around the world, opening hearts, building bridges, and inspiring conversations across cultures and continents.
IMDb 7.3/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 84% audience score
Inspiring and impactful true story.
Nominated Best Picture, Ghana Film Awards (Ghana's Oscars). Winner Best Screenplay, Ghana Film Awards (Ghana's Oscars).
Opened on 180 screens across the United States and earned $500,000 at the box office, a major step up from The Saratov Approach's twenty-two screen opening.
The first LDS film ever to play on Starz Encore through a three-year broadcast deal, now streaming on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Living Scriptures.
Broadcast across Northern and Central Africa and distributed in territories worldwide, introducing a missionary story to millions of viewers who had never heard it before.
In July 1990, as Charles Taylor’s rebellion closed in on Monrovia, eight of the first Latter-day Saint missionaries ever called from Liberia were trapped in the capital, unable to preach and increasingly in danger. One of them, Elder John Gaye, belonged to the Krahn tribe that rebel checkpoints were hunting. Philip Abubakar, a counselor in the local branch presidency, had kept a five-seat Toyota Corolla hidden through the fighting by removing its wheels and battery. On the afternoon of July 15, nine men climbed into that car and drove for the border.
The journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone covered 370 miles in 34 hours, through more than fifty rebel and military checkpoints, on fuel that by every measure should have run out. The missionaries had fasted and prayed before leaving, and they refused to take off their missionary badges. “It was one miracle after another that we came out in one piece,” Elder Marcus Menti later said. Within about a month of their arrival, the number of church branches in Sierra Leone had doubled. All eight missionaries finished their missions.
From theaters to broadcast and streaming, Freetown continues to find new audiences year after year. A story that remains relevant. A message that endures.
We are grateful for your partnership as we continue creating films that inspire, uplift, and bring light to the world. Together, we can help them see.