Mormon missionaries’ escape portrayed in new movie “Freetown”

Next Wednesday, April 8, more than 100 U.S. theaters will begin screening , which tells the true story of a courageous group of LDS missionaries caught in the crossfire during Liberia’s civil war.

In 1990, eight elders and their driver squeezed into a small sedan for a harrowing journey from Monrovia to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where they hoped to serve out their missions in safety.

I was delighted to talk to Garrett Batty, the co-writer, director, and co-producer of Freetown, about the story behind the movie.

RNS: How did you find out about the missionaries’ story?

Batty: I read a short article posted on lds.org that mentioned these missionaries in Liberia and the faith that they had.