Summary: The Mission is set in 18th-century South America and follows the story of a group of Jesuit missionaries who work to protect indigenous Guarani people from Portuguese slave traders. The film focuses on themes of faith, morality, and colonialism.
Foundational Historical Facts:
- Jesuit missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries sought to protect indigenous people in the Americas from European exploitation, including slavery and forced labor.
- The Guarani people were among the many indigenous groups affected by the Portuguese and Spanish colonial powers, who sought to convert them to Christianity and use them for labor.
- In 1750, the Treaty of Madrid resulted in the transfer of the Guarani missions to Portuguese control, leading to the violent suppression of the missions by Portuguese forces.