How Darren Wilson Films the Holy Spirit
White takes the same approach in ministry. He’s no stranger to darkness and doesn’t fear it. When the Holy Ghost: Reborn production crew came across a mob marching at the Vatican, White jumped right in and started ministering to the crowd.
“Jesus wouldn’t be inside of places that are all rosy and quiet and peaceful,” White says. “Jesus would go into a real loud and crazy situation and would bring peace because He’s the Prince of Peace.”
So whether the world is in the end times or not, believers should stay positive and peaceful, holding onto the promise of Romans 15:13: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The Future of Faith Films
Holy Ghost is Darren Wilson’s most successful film to date, but the documentary also attracted significant controversy upon release.
“Holy Ghost, without question, is the most controversial movie I’ve ever made,” Wilson says. “There’s no neutral.”
He thought hardline cessationists would simply avoid the film, but they saw it—and attacked it. YouTube videos, even longer than Holy Ghost, are dedicated to disproving every frame of the documentary. Wilson simply sighs and says to those video makers, “You have way too much time on your hands.”
Even so, he’s tried to weigh their criticism and address a few of their concerns in Holy Ghost: Reborn. Rather than dazzling the audience with the supernatural, Holy Ghost: Reborn examines how and why the Spirit can change lives.
At the same time, Wilson knows that the message has to take a back seat to the viewer experience. Otherwise, he’s not making a film; he’s making a sermon with visual aids.
“The biggest problem with Christian films is it’s all about the message,” Wilson explains. “The message is No. 1 and the entertainment is second or third, where in reality if you’re in the entertainment business, entertainment has to be your top priority. Otherwise, no one’s going to stick around long enough to hear your message.”
He says that goal manifests in the small details of his craft. Pacing, music, scriptwriting, cinematography and the balance of humor and heart can make the difference between entertainment and boredom.
As more Christians reach Hollywood and start making feature films, Wilson has seen improvement. More importantly, he’s seen genuine storytelling and emotional honesty in recent Christian films.
“There’s something in there that reaches people because they can relate to the honesty of the story and storytelling,” Wilson says. “If you just be honest, people will forgive you. They’ll forgive your poor technique if you’re telling a good story.”
All of his storytelling skills and emotional honesty will be put to the test with his next film. Wilson’s next as-yet-untitled project will tackle the issue of homosexuality. He already knows that the controversy from that project will dwarf anything he heard about Holy Ghost.
Despite the controversy, Wilson knows the topic is incredibly important for the church.
“Do you believe that Jesus is who He says He is and the Bible is true? Because if you do, we have to stand up and we have to stand up in love,” Wilson says.
The Opposite Way
After much planning, the night of the prostitutes’ banquet in Brazil arrived. The song of worship started. The cameras were rolling. Wilson waited for people to start dancing and writhing and speaking in tongues.
None of that happened. Instead, the women started to cry all around him.
Wilson was taken aback, but Nic explained how it made perfect sense: “Do you remember what I said yesterday? How He’ll come in the opposite of what you’re expecting? … Think about what love has been for these women. It’s violent. It’s forceful. It makes them do things they don’t want to do.”
So the Holy Spirit embodied a different kind of love: gentle, personal and kind. He comforted them. Two of the women were so moved by God’s love that they left prostitution for good and now work alongside the Billmans’ ministry.
Even after months of filming the Spirit’s activity, Wilson was amazed once again by God’s power: “What these women do is the most intimate act, but it’s also the least intimate act. Yet He comes and hits them with true intimacy. It blew my mind all over again.”
Taylor Berglund is assistant online editor at Charisma Media.
Catch a sneak peek of the Spirit ministering to prostitutes and murderers in Brazil in a trailer of Holy Ghost: Reborn at reborn.charismamag.com.
