The Other Side of Heaven (DVD, 2003)

Based on Elder John Groberg's memoirs, THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, Mitch Davis' feature debut stars Christopher Gorham (A LIFE LESS ORDINARY) as John Groberg, a 19-year-old missionary who goes to Rarotonga to convert the native Indians to Christianity. In the process, he has to face a number of frightening events that change his life forever. Hungry rats eat the soles of his feet, he is almost killed by a hurricane that devastates the island so that their food supplies run out and he starves, and he is caught in a storm at sea and nearly dies until he floats to safety. All the while he is reassured and strengthened by the sweet letters from his fiancée, Jean Sabin (Anne Hathaway, THE PRINCESS DIARIES). The film veers on the fantastic and is peppered with nostalgia; a full moon peeks through soft fans of tree branches, and Jean spends much of her time gracefully gowned in frilly fifties frocks. Many members of the cast and crew are New Zealanders and Miriama Smith and Nathaniel Lees are both well-established New Zealand actors.