Sundance Preview: ‘The Mission’ looks at missionary life in Finland

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. Photo: Antti Savolainen // Sundance Institute

PARK CITY, Utah — As part of the lead-up to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, TownLift is previewing some of the feature films in the program.

The Mission, directed by Helsinki-based Tania Anderson, follows four American teens as “they embark on one of the most religiously significant, ideologically challenging, and culturally unifying experiences in their community: their mission to Finland.”

“The film explores the varying ways in which their work shapes how they view themselves, the world, and their theology. Steadfast in its commitment to their perspectives, this film reveals the individuals behind the suits and nametags that have come to signify the work of Mormon missionaries globally.”

The Finnish perspective on Mormonism is sure to be unique, given the Nordic country’s high rate of atheism.

There will be five in-person screenings throughout the festival, two in Salt Lake City, three in Park City. It will also be available online during two sessions.

Only ticket packages are currently available for the 2022 festival. Individual tickets will go on sale on January 6.