What’s the Right Way to Tell the Story of a Killed Missionary?

Although Justin Lin is best known now for his work on the Fast & Furious (he’s directed five of the franchise’s 10 entries), he got his breakthrough in independent filmmaking with his 2002 crime drama Better Luck Tomorrow, about Asian-American teenagers in Orange County, Calif. Outside of the Fast franchise, the films Lin has directed and produced often focus on Asian and Asian American identity, exploring topics including generational divides and the pressure to achieve.

Those themes are also present in Lin’s latest film, Last Days, which marks his return to independent filmmaking. Last Days, in theaters now, is a drama about the life of John Allen Chau, the young missionary who was determined to make contact with the Sentinelese, an indigenous tribe living on a government-protected island off the coast of India, and one of the last uncontacted indigenous communities. Chau was killed by the Sentinelese shortly after his first encounter with them, leaving behind a story that generated ongoing conversations and debates about the ethics of international missions work. Chau’s story was also the subject of the 2023 documentary The Mission. 

Lin’s film goes beyond the dialogue surrounding Chau’s story to consider what Chau was like as a person—the relationships, beliefs, and influences that directed his choices and his desire to minister to the Sentinelese. Last Days draws from Chau’s journal, articles written about him, and the accounts of his father, Patrick, to create a portrait of a young man craving meaning and adventure, and a father who failed to understand where those ideas came from—and where they might lead. John’s and Patrick’s stories are balanced with a fictionalized framework following a police officer (Radhika Apte) in Port Blair, India, trying to piece together what happened to John when reports of his disappearance surface.  

Lin spoke with Sojourners about his connection to Chau’s experience and how working on Last Days has encouraged him to keep an open mind when exploring other people’s stories.

Abby Olcese, Sojourners: You’ve said that in examining John Allen Chau’s life, you also examined some of your own biases. What were they? How did they change?

Justin Lin: I feel like there’s something with what’s happening in our world right now where it’s easy to dismiss what we see and move on. With John’s story, I experienced that personally. I saw the news about his death while I was at the airport, and I was quick to judge and dismiss. It wasn’t until I saw that he was 26 that I realized this is someone’s son, someone’s brother. I didn’t feel good about myself.   

When I read Alex Perry’s article in Outside magazine—the article that inspired Last Days—I got this window into John’s father, Patrick. I have a teenage son, and I could relate to what Patrick was going through, what was being said and what wasn’t being said. This want of connection and how they kept missing each other.

How did you figure out the right way to tell this story?

There’re so many ways to make this film. When (screenwriter) Ben Ripley shared the script with me, I was like, “Did all this really happen?” I researched everything that was available publicly, and it was clear that John was a storyteller. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if we aren’t trying to find the facts, but to tell his story in a way he was telling it? To see if we could find his humanity?” Hopefully, by the end of the film, people see that, and it directs them to seek out people with different points of view and have a dialogue. 

What kind of person did you see come out through John’s writings?

He was born and raised in a loving, warm Christian family. His search for purpose and connection was important. I can also relate. As an Asian American, people have certain perceptions about who I am based on how I look. I could also feel that with him. The way he wrote his posts, his journal—, he wanted people to not put him in a box. That was one thing I didn’t expect from our initial research. Universally, that’s a thing we can all connect to.

In your opinion, how much of John’s journey and determination came from within himself, and how much of it was shaped and encouraged by the narratives and people he met?

I relate to John in how I was shaped by experiences and people in my journey. In this three-year journey of making Last Days, I talked to people about John, and the answers to your question fluctuate, because there’s these gaps. For me, it was about committing to who John was based on what we know and using the tools I have as a filmmaker to try and connect the gaps.

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I told the cast while we were shooting, “I’ll give you one day where we can talk cerebrally about these characters, and that’s it. I want you to submerge and find the character yourself.” That’s an exercise I enjoy during any project, but on this one, it was pivotal and necessary.

You’ve mentioned that you also connected a lot with John’s father, Patrick. How did your experience as a father shape this process?

Life is very fragile. Off of Alex Perry’s article I could feel the pain and the guilt and all these layers of feelings that John’s father was going through. I have a teenage son. Every day, I’m questioning myself.

The most important thing I learned from this process is that I love my son, and I’d do anything for him, but if I’m imposing what I want for him on my timeline, we’re going to miss each other. Through this process, I’ve been trying to open up our relationship. The thing I love most is when he comes to me to have a discussion. He has enough faith in me as a human being to want to talk to me.