Elder Tyler Davis appears in The Mission by Tania Anderson, an official selection of the World Cinema: Documentary Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Antti Savolainen.
Many people can likely recall a time when they found a young person in a crisp white shirt and tie either knocking at their door or milling about in a public space they happened to be walking through. The “uniform” of Mormon missionaries itself conjures up a visceral reaction, depending on the beliefs held by the individual. It is easy to pass judgment on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, their legacy is well documented and worthy of scrutiny, but what do we know of this young person with barely any real-world experience? Why does their mere presence strike a chord so swiftly?
The new documentary The Mission from director Tania Anderson provides unparalleled outsider access to a group of four young missionaries as they embark upon their first journey into the real world to convert some of Europe’s most non-religious people. While the film may not probe too deeply into the religion itself, the act of getting to know these young souls provides a valuable new perspective that may keep your pulse from racing the next time you see a sharply-dressed youngster.
The film begins by giving us a brief introduction to the four young people just out of high school who are about to embark on a daunting mission to Finland: Kai is unsure of himself as he sheepishly speaks about his trip in front of an audience; Tyler seems tailor-made for this work as he boasts about how he wants to set the benchmark for conversion; McKenna is the studious zealot whose entire family is not as dedicated to the faith as she is; and Megan is as close to a “wild child” as you might label a practicing Mormon as she takes long drives listening to rap music. All four inhabit a loose archetype that Anderson seems keen to follow while happily adapting to whatever real-world developments come from these evolving young adults.
The documentary maintains a pretty nice balance when it comes to portraying the church and the impact it has on its followers. How one interprets what is presented here will largely depend on the point of view they have when approaching the subject. A meeting that McKenna has with her family and her church leader provides a firsthand account of the intense focus on family that is a cornerstone of the faith. A casual mention that this older man will get to work on arranging dates for her once she returns from her mission is quietly heartbreaking, especially the more we get to know and care about her. This is a common idea amongst our subjects and their companions: young people who cannot wait to get married after growing up with so many barriers surrounding them.
The church does put a decent amount of effort into preparing these kids to go to other countries to spread the message. Yet, ultimately, these are half measures that only prepare them to fumble their way through their pitch while leaving these scared youths adrift when anyone actually chooses to engage with them. This leads to many of these kids feeling very isolated and dejected, feeling like they are letting down their faith. This is compounded by the fact that communication with their family is kept to a minimum and the assigned partners they have on their mission shifts every couple of months during this two-year journey. The dedication to their companions is supposed to prepare them for marriage, but the reality seems to be another area of instability in a land where you already feel unsure.
When the movie takes a turn towards issues of mental health, it feels like the best version of itself. Going on your mission is mythologized to such a point that it stands to reason that any impediment would be a brutal blow to your self-worth. While the overt pressure is rarely shown, the pressure that each of these kids put on themselves is clear as day. The casual group meetings that break out among some of the missionaries read almost like a support group for those who are starting to lose the faith. While some have found a way to compartmentalize and hide their emotions, many are starting to show their cracks and they do not know that it is okay. When you hear a resigned plea to just have a “normal” conversation outside of the faith during a particularly rough time, it is hard not to feel frustrated and heartbroken that these arbitrary rules do not allow that.
Even if communication barriers were not an issue, Finland is still said to be one of the more skeptical places to be attempting any kind of proselytizing. A good interaction for most of these missionaries is not being actively yelled at by those you attempt to reach out to – even if you do not understand all of the words, it is not fun to be angrily confronted. When they do manage to break through the language barrier and skepticism, the subjects often find themselves having to justify their own beliefs. One of the best scenes in the film involves Megan and her companion sitting down with a Finnish family who begin to question her about how the historical timeline of the Mormon faith lines up with the generally accepted beliefs about Christ. Megan’s response is along the standard line of faith and believing without much further examination.
This goes towards one of the only real shortcomings of the documentary. Anderson sets up a “hero’s journey” structure for these four where they leave home for this grand adventure and return home different than they left. In one way or another, this dynamic mostly plays out on screen. These young people are changed, if not in obvious ways such as self-confidence then in more personal ways that we can only be told. Yet, there never seems to be a firm link from their experiences in Finland to the people we see after a two-year experience at the end of the film. We are told that most of them had life-changing experiences that only strengthened their faith, but examples of this are only glossed over or not shown at all. While it may be hard to capture the exact moment that solidifies someone’s faith, the fact that the difficult times so handily outweigh the successful ones makes you wonder if some of the footage was not captured that might have been intended.
This is a minor critique for what overall is a really rewarding documentary which brings some humanity and personality to a group which comes with a lot of passionate feelings. The movie does not advocate for this religion, but it does remind us that these are three-dimensional people behind the professional clothes. There is room to explore the LDS community more thoroughly, but the more personal nature of these stories we get here are compelling in a different way. You would be forgiven if you still want to avoid missionaries next time they are at your front door, but just remember they might just be a kid on the other side wishing they could be at home playing with their dog.
The Mission had its World Premiere in the World Documentary Competition section of Sundance Film Festival 2022.
Director: Tania Anderson
Rated: NR
Runtime: 96m
Rating: 4 out of 5
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
