Documentary Film — Missions of Hope

Client
National Catholic Sisters Week

Year
2019

Produced for National Catholic Sisters Week 2019, Missions of Hope is an attempt at debunking misconceptions of women religious by showcasing their remarkable diversity and surprising relevance among young adults. The documentary features four fascinating Catholic sisters: Sister Belinda Monahan, OSB, an archeologist in Chicago; Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP, a former fashion designer in Chicago; Mother Maria Francis, a leader of the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul, Minn.; and Sister Mumbi Kigutha, CPPS, a newly professed Catholic sister from Kenya who has worked for the United Nations. Through their stories we see the diversity of paths taken and how living a life with God is not what we assume it to be.


In this documentary film project, Arlo embarked on a journey to connect with and tell the stories of four incredibly diverse Catholic Sisters. The goal was to identify what connected them; Arlo looked to understand and share how these women with different experiences and vocations all felt a similar call. By conducting thoughtful interviews and spending time with the sisters in their ministries, Arlo captured their unique histories and built meaningful relationships that enriched the storytelling process.

After conducting all of the interviews and filming the b-roll, it became clear that these women shared a calling with their respective communities. These four women all spoke about different facets of community and how their work within their communities fulfills and drives them. In editing, Arlo strung together a narrative about community and service.

Following the film's completion, Arlo extended his vision for the narrative of this film to the promotional materials, designing DVD cases and digital and print promotional graphics that reflected the warmth of the sisters’ stories. Inspired by the feel of photo albums, these graphics aimed to evoke a sense of familiarity and intimacy, allowing viewers to share in the sisters' labor of love and the strong community bonds they foster.

NOTE: In this production, Arlo is credited as “Rocky Pierson,” a nickname he no longer uses.