A Mennonite filmmaker is looking to his family's past to understand the future.

Paul Plett has started filming 'I Am A Mennonite' exploring his family's Russian Mennonite heritage, a journey that will take him to the other side of the world.

He says the question that sparked the project was simply, "What is a Mennonite?"

To answer the question Plett plans on retracing his ancestor's steps back to the Netherlands, where his history goes back to the 1500's. Along the way to answering the question, he hopes to interview Mennonites from all walks of life to glimpse how they're fitting into the modern world.

He notes the core identity of Mennonites remains polarizing. Depending on who you ask, he says some identify by the faith, other the lifestyle, others the shared heritage.

"Being a Mennonite meant something in the past. It means something today. But what's it going to mean in the future? That's what I want to find out," Plett says.

Along with a fantastic sense of humour, he says Mennonites have a sobering history of persecution as many Mennonites died for their beliefs. "There's some serious stuff in our history. But I think Mennonites aren't just a serious people... there's a lot of life, joy and silliness as well."

Low German, he says, remains a catalyst for hilarity. Low German comedy remains a staple for many theatre groups in the region.

In the end, Plett hopes to create a film that non-Mennonites are interested in. "I think that Mennonites have ideas and values that are very relevant today, and very relevant to the world outside of Southern Manitoba. I think we've got something to say."

Learn more about the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1345642661/i-am-a-mennonite?ref=project_link