This biopic about missionary Graham Staines is the first of next year's faith-based releases.
Slated to hit movie theaters in February, The Least of These stars two strong Christian actors - Stephen Baldwin and Shari Rigby - playing husband and wife Graham and Gladys Staines. With an original soundtrack featuring Toby Mac, Nicole C. Mullen and Michael W. Smith, there are some heavyweight Christian musicians onboard as well.
The film is set in 1990s India, where the Australian missionary couple and their young children live and serve a community of indigenous lepers, i.e., 'the least of these.' Mr. and Mrs. Staines are, however, suspected of also proselytizing and converting them to Christianity, something that is illegal in predominantly Hindu India.
This suspicion draws the interest of a local newspaper. Enter the third leading member of the cast, Sharman Joshi, a longtime star of Bollywood - the Indian counterpart to Hollywood - who plays an undercover journalist trying to ferret out the truth of the matter.
Though this story ends in tragedy, as it did in real life for Graham Staines, the film's website assures us that this picture "beautifully illustrates the power of love, hope and forgiveness to overcome hate."
Gladys Staines' own life speaks to those hallmarks of the Christian faith. After the murders of her husband and children at the hands of a local mob, she stayed on in India, continuing to serve and minister to the leper community. She also forgave those behind the killings.
"It is far from my mind to punish the persons who were responsible for the death of my husband Graham and my two children. But it is my desire and hope that they would repent and would be reformed."
The Least of These hits theaters on February 1st of next year. Until then, here's a look at the trailer.