Breaking the Language Barrier Through Film

Dear Friends,
From the very beginning of my decision to produce a movie based on Doohyun and Jiyeon’s story, I have given considerable thought to whether the film should be produced in English or the Korean language with subtitles to maintain the authenticity of the story. I’ve assumed I will uncover the answer to this important question at the appropriate time in this journey, after the script is written and when the decisions about hiring a director and actors are being made. We are days away from the first draft of the script, so this issue is looming. In the meantime, I am deeply reflecting on language and its importance to our human experience. 
Why Do We Have Different Languages?
As the Bible tells, the origin of our different languages dates back to a time hundreds of years after the time of Noah and his family of eight souls descended from the Ark, and the world had been cleansed. The people were unified by a single language but had again become prideful because of their accomplishments and technological advancements. God could see that the people were not seeking to align themselves with God’s will but were headed down a path that would lead to destruction again.
A Necessary Lie: Escape for Freedom and Love
They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”  So God then said, “Come, let us go down and there confuse the language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech…And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” - the Bible, Genesis, Chapter 11 ESV
Is Language a Key to Unity and Peace?
Language is at the very core of every culture. It is a key element that unites people and creates culture. Today, we live in a world with over 7,000 languages. Would the world be a more peaceful place if we all spoke each other’s language? What if we could see into each other’s hearts to seek understanding like God understands each of us individually? God knows us by name and knows of our divine callings, so we don’t need to “make a name for ourselves” on earth; instead, we just need to discover His purpose for us. 
Why Am I Learning Korean?
All my life, I’ve been fascinated by people from other cultures, and I always try to learn the language of the people I’m amongst. At the age of 19 learned Spanish so I could serve a Christian mission in South America. When I was 22, I spent a summer living with a Chinese family in Taiwan while teaching English. Learning to speak Mandarin was a goal of my experience (just below earning enough to pay for my college tuition), and I wrote down every word I heard phonetically. While living in Paris, France, with our family in 2011, my wife and I took French lessons every day, and I struggled to speak with every street vendor or store owner who would put up with my hacked French. 
 
The idea to study Korean came to me after accepting this mission to produce the story of Doohyun and Jiyeon’s journey to freedom. To quote Kensington on our team call this week, “it’s not very normal for a guy who looks like you, Erik, to try to learn a new language.” This is very true, and it’s not easy either, Kensington! But there are some principles in this example that I hope to express. First, how can one serve a people if he cannot speak their language? I truly desire to serve the Korean people, and, in particular, I look forward to the day when the people of North Korea are free to explore the bounties of this amazing world, including the people and cultures outside their own. This leads to the second principle: believe and act as if the conclusion is already destined to occur! In my mind, it is a certainty that God will cause something to occur in my lifetime that will open the doors of the Hermit Kingdom so that the 26 million people can come to know the Father of their souls. That is the underlying reason why I want to produce this film and also why, in a previous newsletter, I asked all of you to pray for those 26 million North Koreans…so they can come to know God and enjoy the blessings of freedom as we do!
 
I really don’t think my thought process is too far off from what all of us believe and do. For example, we go to college because we believe it will lead to a degree that will help us find a career. Business owners one day started with an idea and a desire to own a business, and they worked towards that goal. Every artist starts with an idea and a dream, then goes to work to create their art. So why can’t we produce a film and build a movement that blesses the lives of an oppressed people, while also bringing more light to a confused world? Ok, maybe it’s a bit of a pipe dream, but we, who believe in a God, must continually attempt to align our wills with God's and do something good with our knowledge. Then, hopefully, we won’t fall down the same path that human oppression leads to, including so much misery and destruction. We have thousands of years of wisdom to draw upon, yet human nature shows time and again that we try, “to make a name for ourselves” by oppressing others to obtain power and wealth. Just like the pigs and dogs in Orwell's Animal Farm allegorical satire!
How Does This Relate to the Film?
All of the above explains more about my why behind producing a film. To some, this probably seems strange or not really connected. Most filmmakers likely do it for their careers, as an investment, or for artistic expression, all of which are also noble reasons. Our film will tell a beautiful story of one couple’s journey to escape the oppression they endured, so they could use their agency to build their own future together. It’s a true story. They now live in the United States today working and sacrificing each day to build their dreams. For me, however, I’ve come to realize that the film is a vehicle that anchors me to an idea, a dream, a hope: that there is abundance in our world and we can use our agency to serve others, leading to ways of living that elevate all human souls rather than designs to enslave others because of a zero-sum mindset. The idea is to use film for truthful advocacy, to inspire others to act, and the business plan is storytelling that resonates with people and will be successful at the box office, so we have the funding to bring these ideas to life.
I know of another media organization investing millions of dollars into translating its content into 600 languages, globally distributed, and free for all. This is the Come and See Foundation (CAS) with The Chosen TV series content. It is truly amazing what they are doing so that the story of the authentic Jesus Christ from the New Testament can reach a billion people! What an amazing goal, and they truly have the organization to accomplish it. My wife and I have been supporters for the past several years, and it has been incredible to observe the progress they’ve made. I was able to personally experience the value of their mission several weeks ago when I told Eunhee, Let’s scrap the Korean lesson today and talk about God and the Bible. After a short discussion, I showed her how to access The Chosen TV Series in Korean so she could be better introduced to the story of Jesus. I didn’t fully realize until that experience how many concepts have no framing for someone who hasn’t learned about God and the Bible since their youth. She pointed out a Korean word to me that she did not understand, but I immediately recognized the sounds as being the Messiah. How could she know who the Messiah is, or the dozens of other names for Jesus Christ from the Bible? Wow. That same day, a colleague introduced me to the head of translation at CAS via email. I told her about my experience that very day expressed how valuable their efforts are. Coincidence? I can clearly see God’s hand in the things that are happening around me. I hope you also will freely support organizations such as the Come and See Foundation with your donations and referrals.
 
Before I close, here are a few updates...
Jake speaking at Victims of Communism
➡ Jake and Vivian Kim are speaking at Southern Virginia University (SVU) this month, so if any of you live close to Buena Vista, Virginia, come say hi.
➡ If you haven't visited our website in a while, check out the new colors and let me know what you think.
➡ We are focusing in 2026 on building an audience for the film, which will include some crazy marketing strategies and producing more content for our YouTube Channel.
 
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart...!
 
Gratefully yours,
 
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