Filmmaker T.C. Christensen, best known for his work on “17 Miracles” and “The Fighting Preacher,” has recently released his newest film, “Escape from Germany.” The story follows Latter-day Saint missionaries who are trying to leave Germany during WWII before the country invades Poland. The movie is based on the real accounts and experiences of those missionaries.
“It’s just this wonderful moment of seeing history coming together here and we’re going to recreate it,” Christensen said about the process behind the film in an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. “[We hoped we’d] find enough information about those escaped missionaries that we’re telling the true story of, and that people will be touched by it."
One of the most notable moments for Christensen during filming was being able to get the real-life descendants of those missionaries involved with the project. He says the experience was heartwarming as the descendants bonded with the actors portraying their relatives. Christensen believes that having the descendants on set helped the actors be able to make deeper connections with their roles.
Christensen says while filming the movie they experienced several miracles. One of them happened in Budapest, Hungary, where they were due to film. They had tried to wire money to a company in the country so they could film, but the company had not received the money. Without the money, the movie might not have happened. Christensen says they went to church where they met a man who was able to help them resolve the issue. If he hadn’t met that man at church that day, the project most likely would’ve been scrapped.
Christensen shared his delight in the audience’s reception of the film. He was worried that many people wouldn’t go watch it in theaters, since the pandemic many people stopped going to the movies all together. But since the movie’s release, the community has responded, and it’s been well received.
“It was a great experience, I had great feelings doing it. I [felt] like we’re doing something,” he said.
Christensen said that filmmaking has two purposes - to be entertainment and to serve as a medium for learning valuable lessons. He hopes more audiences will find enjoyment in “Escape from Germany” and that they will be able to draw inspiration from the resilience and courage of the characters in the film.
If you would like to see T.C. Christensen’s “Escape from Germany” you can view it at the Paramount 5 in Rexburg, the Paramount in Idaho Falls, The Regal Edwards Teton Stadium in Ammon and the Blackfoot Movie Mill.