Indianapolis resident Nakia White spent two weeks living in a church, but she wasn’t attending a revival or seeking a spiritual breakthrough. White is an actress in “Save my Soul,” a locally written and produced television series that retells the story of Job from a modern lens. “Save my Soul” tells the story of a pastor whose commitment is tested beyond his breaking point and who dares to ask a difficult question: Could you hold onto faith if everything in your life fell apart?
“The show is about a man who loves his family. After the death of his wife, he is trying to maintain his family closeness, but he is a pastor of a megachurch. If anyone knows anything about megachurches, it can be pretty high maintenance,” said White. “We all know that when there are trials and tribulations, we kind of backslide a little bit and we question, ‘God, where are you when I need you in tough times?’ We see how he has to lean on God to trust in Him and know that whatever happens is going to be by the will of God.”
The script was written by Indianapolis-based filmmaker Jerrel Farries, a preacher’s kid with firsthand knowledge of the troubles churchgoers face. He hopes people who watch the show will learn that believers face the same hardships and temptations as everyone else.
“People think church people don’t go through real-life hardships; this is breaking that narrative,” said Farries. “Just because you serve God doesn’t mean you are exempt from the trials of life. We try to do the best we can, but we are not perfect. We have everyday struggles, but with the fortitude to withstand those attacks.”
During the process of bringing his vision to life, Farries faced some trials of his own, including losing his lead actor and losing access to the church he was planning to film in. Luckily, a friend introduced him to a pastor in Anderson who has a background in filmmaking, and the pastor allowed Farries to set up shop. The cast and crew camped in the church in order to finish up filming.
White plays the pastor’s daughter-in-law on screen and works as a production assistant behind the scenes. She describes her character as a nurturing and loving woman who becomes more assertive as things start to fall apart in her home. White feels that even though the show takes place in a church, it’s a story that all can enjoy regardless of religious affiliation.
“The show is centered around the church, but we didn’t want it to be so Christian that people who were not religious would not be interested in the show,” said White.
White hopes the show inspires creatives in Indianapolis to have faith in their own dreams and tell the stories they have in their hearts.
“It’s no secret that Hollywood is dominated by cultures other than Black, so it is so important that we create our own stories and tell them from our perspectives, from our point of view, because who knows Black people better than Black people?” said White. “We want to create a foundation, to create businesses and even just so others can know they can do this. They can say, ‘I can be up on the big screen, I can be behind the scenes writing a film, I have a platform.’ We want to create a way for actors in Indiana to know that they can do work of this magnitude, and even greater.”
Catch new episodes of “Save my Soul” on WHMB-TV 40 Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m. For more information and to watch the season premiere, visit facebook.com/smstvseries.
About ‘Save My Soul’
After his wife dies, Bishop Hayes fights to keep his family and church together while under attack from the devil. New episodes air Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. Learn more at facebook.com/smstvseries.
Left to right: Christopher Shields Jr., Juanita Brown Ingram, Ja’Taun T. Durden, James B. Copeland, Nakia White and Jerrel Farries
“> Left to right: Christopher Shields Jr., Juanita Brown Ingram, Ja’Taun T. Durden, James B. Copeland, Nakia White and Jerrel Farries
