End of the Spear (2006)

From NetFlix:

Many years after his missionary father was speared to death at the hands of Waodani tribesmen, a young man (Chad Allen) returns to the Ecuadorian jungle to meet the native (Louie Leonardo) who murdered his father and learn the truth about his family’s legacy. The result, in this film based on a true story, is a life-altering experience that brings him closer to the kin of his father’s killer and impacts both of their lives forever.

When I was in Catholic parochial school (grades 1-8) we used to donate money to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in order to convert pagan babies. Although I now have mixed feelings about missionaries in general, I have to admit that this film shows that the efforts of this particular set of missionaries led to a practical result: the tribe of Waodani still exists. Because the Waodani culture was so violent and based on a code of lethal revenge, the tribe was headed for extinction.

There is a book “Through Gates of Splendor” that tells the true story.

Towards the end of the film there is a bit of supernatural flim-flam that turned me off. However, just watching the film and taking the story as it comes was for me a pleasurable experience. You can just ignore the religious bias, the story in itself is interesting. For whatever motivation, those missionaries were brave and devoted people that did their best to help the Waodani. But you must be prepared for much violence (lots of spearing to death).

Stick around after the film seems to have ended. There is an epilogue in which you get to see two of the real living characters, including a tribesman.

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