Beyond the Gates of Splendor

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Beyond the Gates of Splendor is an American documentary about Operation Auca, the mission where five missionaries tried to contact the Huaorani people in Ecuador and were killed. The film covers what led up to the mission, what happened during it, and how things changed afterward, including new information about related events from Huaorani sources. The title references Elisabeth Elliot’s 1957 book Through Gates of Splendor, which told the original story.

Directed and written by Jim Hanon, the film features Mincaye, Elisabeth Elliot, Frank Drown, and Steve Saint, with Steve Saint serving as narrator. It was produced by Bearing Fruit Productions and distributed by Every Tribe Entertainment, and shot on location in Ecuador as well as Ocala, Florida; Seattle; and Wheaton College. The crew spent 17 days interviewing Huaorani people, the five widows, the search party, and others. Running time is 96 minutes. It was released on September 27, 2002, and earned about $36,000 in the U.S. box office. The film won the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival in 2002 and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Palm Beach International Film Festival in 2004. It also helped inspire End of the Spear, released in 2006. There was also a separate, smaller film with the same name made in 1967.