“Why would I ever make a Christian rock film?” the director, who was raised Catholic but is now closer to agnostic, said. “You could have told me it was about ISIS or Satanism and I would’ve said, ‘Sounds edgy and cool — let’s go!’ But you say ‘Jesus’ and I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, no thank you.’”
Yet it took only one Hillsong service for Mr. Warren. 43, to overcome his knee-jerk prejudice, if not quite convert. Moved by the youth, diversity and emotion of the congregation — plus the disarming pop songwriting — the director signed on for what would become “Hillsong — Let Hope Rise,” a slick, stirring concert film out Friday that details the sound and mission of the most impactful group in evangelicalism.
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