A film called the ‘Least of These’ opened in theatres this month. Its the story of a missionary’s murder that shocked the world 20 years ago.
“The Least of These” (PG-13) tells the story of Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who took medicine and the Gospel to India’s lepers and was killed in 1999 for allegedly violating the region’s laws against “forced” conversions. A subsequent investigation cleared his name and showed that everyone who became a Christian did so willingly.
The film stars Stephen Baldwin as Staines; Shari Rigby as his wife Gladys; and Sharman Joshi as Manav, a newspaper journalist investigating Staines.
The movie was shot in India and used mostly Indian actors.
Victor Abraham, the film’s executive producer, told The Alabama Baptist,
“This is a true story that happened in my part of the world where I literally grew up. Because of the sensitivity of the subject, the legality of conversion is still a toxic issue in India. Anti-conversion laws do exist. Part of it is the protection of their own culture. Part of it is threat.”
On Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where Christians experience the most persecution, India ranks No. 10. Eight of India’s 29 states have some form of anti-conversion law, according to the Library of Congress.
Most of the movie spotlights Gaines’ ministry and his willingness to interact with lepers who were shunned by their families and friends.