The Christian music star enjoyed the project, but finds it painful to relive memories connected to the event behind it.
I Still Believe stars K.J. Apa as Jeremy Camp and Britt Robertson as his late wife, Melissa, and is based on their real-life love story, a story that ended with her untimely death from ovarian cancer less than a year after they married. This faith-based film is the latest project from the brother duo of Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin and is the first production from their new Kingdom Studios, a venture with Lionsgate.
Though Camp has now been remarried for 16 years, the memories of his first marriage are still clearly sensitive. He spent a lot of time on the set during filming of the movie last year and tells The Christian Post that it is been a real challenge to see the events played out again.
"It's the hardest part of my life, where I actually experienced some very difficult grief and pain...so every time I watch it, I do break down because I'm reminded of that pain."
Camp is also quick to point out that the support for the project from his wife, Adrienne, and their children helped immensely when he would become emotional during the film's production, and literally cried on her shoulder during one particularly poignant scene. He is, not surprisingly, grateful to the Lord for them.
"I'm sitting there, and I'm watching my family and they're in front of me. It's my wife, my three kids. I'm like, 'Wow, God, look what you've done.' I have my family now and I'm able to go and minister around the world, your goodness and your faithfulness."
The title for the movie comes from a hit song by the same name that Camp wrote shortly after Melissa died in 2001. The film has some real on-screen star power, because in addition to Apa and Robertson, country music great Shania Twain and Christian actors Gary Sinise and Cameron Arnett are featured in supporting roles. I Still Believe is set to debut nationwide this Friday.