Christian Review Magazine Issue 3 - March 2015 | Page 10

Brian Ivie with Pastor Lee (left) CR: “The Drop Box” is a heartbreaking yet hope-filled film, and a bold topic for you as a first-time filmmaker to come out of the gate with. What kind of feedback have you had so far? BI: The issue is controversial and rightly so, but the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. And I think that’s because we didn’t have a political agenda. We weren’t trying to wag fingers, advocate for building more drop boxes or scream into the life debate. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” That’s all we wanted to do. Show how good and beautiful and purposeful 10 > CHRISTIAN REVIEW MAGAZINE life is. Maybe then, we thought, people would choose it. CR: To your knowledge, has the documentary had any impact so far, in Seoul and/or globally? BI: Our hope is that the film would make a huge and measurable impact on the nation of South Korea, but also on individual hearts everywhere else. We’ve seen people change majors, decide to love their daughters better, initiate the adoption process for a child in foster care, or even just walk in greater thankfulness. The greatest impact, of course, has been the support brought in for Pastor Lee’s life-saving work on the front lines, where lives actually hang in the balance. It’s allowed him to prevent abandonment and infanticide, serve mothers in crisis, and care for orphans on a bigger scale, but with the same heart for physical and spiritual restoration. In South Korea, the ultimate goal is that we could one day close down the box because it’s no longer necessary. Above all, our hope is that people would see living proof of a loving God in Pastor Lee and the sacrificial love that he shows for the lost and lonely. CR: How did the experience of making the film impact you personally?