Christian Vuissa

Last updated

Christian Vuissa (born 1969 in Bregenz, Austria [1] [2] ) is a Latter-day Saint filmmaker. He is also the founder and former head of the LDS Film Festival, until 2017.

Contents

Vuissa served an LDS mission in Leipzig, Germany, from 1994 to 1996. [3] [ unreliable source? ] He was involved in the making of Pirates of the Great Salt Lake . He was the director of Baptists at Our Barbecue , The Errand of Angels , One Good Man (2009) (originally called Father in Israel), [4] The Letter Writer (2011), The Reunion (2008), and Silent Night (2012).

Vuissa was also the original story creator and the director of the 2002 short drama film Roots and Wings about Mexican immigrants to the United States. [5]

Vuissa is a 2002 graduate of Brigham Young University's Media Arts program.

Filmography

YearFilmCredits
Director Writer Producer
2002 Roots & Wings YesYesYes
2004 Unfolding YesYesYes
2004 Baptists at Our Barbecue YesYesYes
2006 Pirates of the Great Salt Lake NoNoYes
2006 The Letter Writer YesYesYes
2007 Wrinkles NoNoYes
2007 Repressed Melodies NoNoYes
2008 The Errand of Angels YesYesYes
2008 Through the Valley NoYesYes
2008 Crossroads YesYesYes
2008 The Abyss YesYesYes
2008 The Reunion YesYesYes
2008 One Lucky Boy NoNoYes
2009 Father in Israel YesYesYes
2010 I Love You Bernie Summersby NoYesYes
2010 Farewell to Brotherhood YesYesYes
2011 Joseph Smith: Plates of Gold YesYesYes
2012 Stille Nacht YesYesYes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silent Night</span> 1818 Christmas song

"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The song was first recorded in 1905 and has remained a popular success, appearing in films and multiple successful recordings, as well as being quoted in other musical compositions. It is the world's most recorded Christmas song, with more than 137,000 known recordings.

In Mormonism, the restoration refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts, ordinances, living prophets and revelation of the primitive Church of Christ after a long period of apostasy. While in some contexts the term may also refer to the early history of Mormonism, in other contexts the term is used in a way to include the time that has elapsed from the church's earliest beginnings until the present day. Especially in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "the restoration" is often used also as a term to encompass the corpus of religious messages from its general leaders down to the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latter Day Saint movement</span> Religious movement

The Latter Day Saint movement is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armin Mueller-Stahl</span> German actor (born 1930)

Armin Mueller-Stahl is a retired German actor who also appeared in numerous English-language films since the 1980s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Shine. In 2011, he was awarded the Honorary Golden Bear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Dutcher</span> American filmmaker

Richard Alan Dutcher is an American independent filmmaker who produces, writes, directs, edits, and frequently stars in his films. After making God's Army, a successful 2000 movie about LDS missionaries, Dutcher became well known among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Film critic Jeff Vice, of the Deseret News, dubbed Dutcher "The Godfather of Mormon Cinema," a title that is very important personally for Dutcher. In 2007, Dutcher left the LDS Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormon cinema</span> Films with themes surrounding Mormonism

Mormon cinema usually refers to films with themes relevant to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The term has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made by Mormon filmmakers. Films within the realm of Mormon cinema may be distinguished from institutional films produced by the LDS Church, such as Legacy and Testaments, which are made for instructional or proselyting purposes and are non-commercial. Mormon cinema is produced mainly for the purposes of entertainment and potential financial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deseret Book Company</span> American publishing company

Deseret Book is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the holding company for business firms owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book is a for-profit corporation registered in Utah. Deseret Book publishes under four imprints with media ranging from works explaining LDS theology and doctrine, LDS-related fiction, electronic resources, and sound recordings such as The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square albums.

<i>Saints and Soldiers</i> 2004 American film

Saints and Soldiers is a 2003 war drama film directed by Ryan Little and produced by Little and Adam Abel. It is loosely based on events that took place after the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge. The film stars Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Lawrence Bagby, and Peter Asle Holden as four American soldiers trying to return a British airman with vital intelligence to the Allied lines.

Chris Heimerdinger is an American author who has written twenty novels for adults and young adults, most famously the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and most of his stories center on religious themes familiar to Latter-day Saints.

Corbin Michael Allred is an American actor. He starred in the 2003 award-winning motion picture Saints and Soldiers and the 1997–1998 television series Teen Angel.

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration is a 2005 film that focuses on some of the events during the life of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, which was both filmed and distributed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The film was shown in the Legacy Theater of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building from its opening on December 17, 2005 until early 2015, and opened in several LDS Church visitors' centers on December 24, 2005.

Jack Arnold Weyland is a retired professor of physics at Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho) and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a prolific and well-known author of fiction for LDS audiences, including many novels and short stories, mostly placed in contemporary settings. His novel Charly was made into a feature film in 2002.

What's the Matter with Kansas? is a 2009 documentary film by filmmakers Joe Winston and Laura Cohen. It is based on the book What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America (2004) by Thomas Frank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. C. Christensen</span> American film director

Thomas C. Christensen is an American cinematographer, film director, and writer best known for his work on films related to the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men, 17 Miracles, and Ephraim's Rescue. He has made films about the Martin and Willie handcart companies who traversed the plains toward the Salt Lake Valley in late 1856. Christensen is also a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Pacheco</span> Musical artist

Nathan Armand Pacheco is an American tenor singer and songwriter of Brazilian origin. He was a featured vocalist during the 2009 tour for Yanni Voices, produced by Walt Disney Records, and is currently signed to the Disney Pearl Series sub-label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Boyé</span> British actor and singer (born 1970)

Alex Boyé is a British-American singer, dancer, and actor. He was named the "2017 Rising Artist of the Year" in a contest sponsored by Pepsi and Hard Rock Cafe.

<i>The Errand of Angels</i> 2008 American film

The Errand of Angels is a 2008 American LDS cinema drama film directed and produced by Christian Vuissa who also wrote the screenplay. Starring Erin Chambers, Rachel Emmers and Bettina Schwarz, the film is based on the experiences of Heidi Johnson while working as a missionary in Austria for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<i>Johnny Lingo</i> 1969 American film

Johnny Lingo is a 1969 short film directed by Wetzel O. Whitaker. The film and later remake are based on a short story by Patricia McGerr, originally published in a 1965 issue of Woman's Day. The 24-minute film was produced by Brigham Young University, but does not specifically mention The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside of the credits.

<i>The Chosen</i> (TV series) American television series

The Chosen is an American Christian historical drama television series. Created, directed, and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins, it is the first multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century, the series centers on Jesus and the people who met and followed him. The series stars Jonathan Roumie as Jesus as well as Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, and George H. Xanthis.

References

  1. Joseph Smith and the Golden Plates. (German) In: film.at, retrieved on Nov 25, 2021.
  2. Pacini, Brittany: Christian Vuissa. On: mormonartist.net, Jan 2009, retrieved on Nov 25, 2021
  3. Germany Leipzig Mission alumni list
  4. IMDb entry for Father in Israel
  5. IMDb entry for Roots and Wings

Further reading