195: Richard Dutcher Part 1: Growing up Mormon, Serving a Mission, and Getting Married

Richard Dutcher burst into Mormon cultural consciousness ten years ago with the release of his independent film hit, God’s Army. During the ensuing decade, he has remained an intriguing figure to many Latter-day Saints, not only because of the high quality of the films he has continued to make, but also because of his public distancing himself from Mormon cinema, a film genre launched primarily because of his successes, as well as his more private (yet also public) distancing himself from the LDS Church and its teachings. In this five-part interview conducted by Mormon Stories correspondent Dan Wotherspoon, Richard Dutcher speaks with remarkable candor about his upbringing and marriage, his career as a filmmaker, including extensive comments about each of his completed films (as well as ones, such as his planned film on Joseph Smith, that have not yet been made), the rise and decline of Mormon cinema, and his own faith journey. This interview is available in both audio and high-quality video formats. The video version includes scenes from Dutcher’s films that play over the interview audio.