Finally Watched "The Saratov Approach"...Powerful

I remember telling Garrett, the film's director, that we would most likely not be watching his film for a while. We met at a signing years ago and that's where I picked up a copy of the film. It was after the theatrical release and the film had gone to DVD. I told him it was in no way a reflection of the amazing job he did to write and direct the film. It's because we had a son out on a mission at the time.

Even though my son was serving in California and not Russia, I still didn't think we could handle seeing a story about a couple of LDS missionaries getting kidnapped and threatened with death.

And because life happens, our copy of the film was set aside.

Until today. Today's when I watched it and today's when I realized a couple of things:

1. It's a powerful film, well written, beautifully filmed, directed, and acted.

And 2. I was right--there's no way we could have gotten through while our son was out doing the same things as these two young men.

I knew the story, and since both missionaries gave interviews at the time of the film's release, I knew they survived their ordeal. But a good film can make you forget, or at least, suspend your knowledge base and get lost in the story.

Like millions of others before me, I put on suit and the black name tag and lived two years away from home. I lived in northern Europe and I identified with some of what they when through--learning a different (and difficult...) language, finding few who wanted to hear our message, the cold. I never experienced anything like what happened to them. The film put me in their shoes and made me ask myself what would I have done in the same situation.

It hit close to home. 

It's been several years since the director and I chatted in a local bookstore in downtown Salt Lake City. I should have watched the film sooner, but I'm glad I finally did. It's a story that deserved to be told and fortunately for us, a talented team of cast and crew did just that. In the comments on the DVD, the director said he gets notes and messages from people every day telling him the message of the film affected them. I know it's been a few years, but my message can be added to theirs. It's a good film, a great story, and I'm glad I watched it.

I'm also glad I didn't watch it years ago.