Chronicling the Works of God: An interview with Christian filmmaker Darren Wilson
The Pneuma Review: For any of our readers who may not be familiar with your films Finger of God, Furious Love, and Father of Lights please give a brief description of each.
Darren Wilson: Well, put quite simply, they are documentaries that detail my six year search for the more of Christianity. I grew up in the church, but by my late twenties had grown pretty distant from God and was fairly fed up with the church as a whole. It seemed like it had become some sort of feel-good club, designed to perpetuate its own existence. I was surrounded by hypocrisy, with my own life being the chief example. Finger of God, then, became my first foray into searching for the answer to the question, “Is there more to Christianity than what I’ve always been told?” If I had to digest the three films into one sentence, it would probably be this: Finger of God is about God’s power; Furious Love is about God’s love; and Father of Lights is about God’s heart. Throw in a bunch of wild adventures with God around the world and you get a fairly decent idea of what you’re getting yourself into when you sit down with these films.
PR: Where did you get your training as a filmmaker?
Darren: My training was literally on the job. I was trained as a screenwriter (writing films) but I never, ever wanted to actually make them. When I started Finger of God, I had no idea what I was doing. For my first interview, it took me nearly five minutes to figure out how to turn on the camera. I had a sense of story, but that’s about it. The rest I learned by doing and making a lot of mistakes.
PR: How do you select ministries that you want to make films about?
Darren: At first, it was simply anyone who would say, “Yes.” But now that we’ve seen some success, I’ve had to become careful about what I do and who I go film. For the most part I work off of referral from a select group of people I trust around the world who keep me informed of hidden gems they discover along their travels. But recently, the Holy Spirit has been showing me more and more where He wants me to go.
PR: How have audiences responded to your films?
Darren: Finger of God was definitely the most divisive film I’ve done, mostly because it’s about miracles. In case you didn’t know, miracles—especially the kind I filmed—tend to be divisive in and of themselves. However, the vast majority of reactions from people around the world is that their lives have been utterly and irreversibly changed by these movies. I never used to think that individual movies could have much long term affect on people, but apparently I’ve proven myself wrong. We recently did a fifty city tour across four countries with Father of Lights, where we saw forty thousand attend. Everywhere we went the audiences were just blown away and lives were radically transformed and mindsets were altered. It was incredible to see it firsthand.
PR: Do you think projects inspire people to become involved in the kinds of ministries you film?
Darren: I hope so. I’ve filmed some real gems, God’s treasures, over the years. I certainly hope that people will seek them out and come alongside many of them to help support what they’re doing. More than anything, I want to see people challenged to the point where they will do something great themselves. Too often, especially in America, we think we are doing our part by simply writing a check. While that is certainly a part of advancing the kingdom of God, it seems like we can get a lot more done if we all start doing our part.
PR: How has making these films impacted you personally?
Darren: I’ve said this many times. These movies have altered my DNA. I started them as a skeptical, judgmental, lukewarm Christian who wasn’t sure what he believed anymore, and have come out as someone who can confidently say that I am a friend of God. They have altered everything about me.
PR: What projects do you have planned for the future?
Darren: We have a short cartoon, Anointed Fighters, that we’re finishing up. We also have a one-hour documentary about UFC/WWF superstar Ken Shamrock, The Greatest Fight. In the Summer of 2013, I’ll be starting production on my next film, which is going to be about the Holy Spirit. It will be a different type of film than the trilogy, but will still feel familiar.
PR
Visit the Wanderlust Productions website at: www.wpfilm.com
Special thanks to John Lathrop for his assistance with this interview.
