BYU NewsNet - Film Portrays Sister Missionary

A new Mormon movie is coming out this month, with a sister missionary as the main character.

"The Errand of Angels," the newest motion picture from Excel Entertainment, is having its debut in theaters on August 22.

The original story for the movie was written by Heidi Johnson, a graduate from BYU and mother of four.

The story was inspired by her mission in Vienna, Austria in 1993, and it describes her experiences and feelings while in the picturesque European country.

Christian Vuissa, the director, producer and screenwriter for the film, said in a news release, besides trying to portray Johnson's story, he tried to add some of his personal touch and stories from his own mission.

The story, filmed and based in Vienna, has multiple shots of the countryside, and the director said it was quite an adventure to shoot.

Vuissa said they had only 15 days to shoot, 10 persons on the crew and three cities to shoot in.

The cast included Erin Chambers, a BYU alumna with a degree in acting, who has been in several films as well as national TV shows throughout her acting career.

The story focuses around Sister Taylor, a sister missionary who struggles with food, missionary life and language during the first part of his mission.

She writes in her missionary journal and records her feelings and ideas throughout her missionary experience.

In the film, Chamber's character starts questioning her reasons for going on a mission, and finds answers to her prayers in scriptures and in her companions.

Chambers had to learn phonetics and memorize German dialogues, without learning a word of the language, director Christian Vuissa said.

Vuissa said he is particular about locations and loves finding the perfect spot for what he has pictured in his mind for a scene.

In the news release, Vuissa said his favorite part of directing is the collaborative process, and that he was really drawn to the film for its messages.

The film will be released in many Utah theaters Aug. 22 and is expected to attract many in the LDS community. Excel Entertainment described it as a family film.