Film Lens
The Tailenders is a documentary directed, produced, and narrated by Adele Horne, focusing on Gospel Recordings, an evangelical Christian missionary group founded in 1939 by Joy Ridderhof. The film presents the group's mission to record Bible stories in every language, emphasizing their efforts in reaching indigenous communities in remote areas. It discusses the Global Recordings Network, which has recorded Bible stories in 5,485 of the over 8,000 languages and dialects spoken worldwide.
The film also examines the relationship between missionary work and global capitalism, particularly in economically distressed communities. It shows the targeted approach of the missionaries in countries like The Solomon Islands, Mexico, and India, where they found that displaced populations were more receptive to their audio recordings in their native languages. The documentary positions these efforts within the broader context of mass evangelization and cultural preservation.
Why Watch
- •See how Gospel Recordings targets remote communities.
- •Find out about the 769 languages in The Solomon Islands, Mexico, and India.
- •Meet the missionaries working in crisis-affected areas.
Did You Know
•Gospel Recordings was founded in California in 1939.
•As of the film's making, Bible stories were recorded in 5,485 languages.
•The film claims that half of all languages occur in just eight countries.
•In The Solomon Islands, 74 different languages are spoken.
Perfect For
Missionary workLinguistic diversityCultural preservation