<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> £ 16.5 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $17.2 million </Td> </Tr> <P> The Mission is a 1986 British period drama film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th - century South America . Written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffé, the film stars Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Aidan Quinn, Cherie Lunghi, and Liam Neeson . </P> <P> It won the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Cinematography . In April 2007, it was elected number one on the Church Times' Top 50 Religious Films list . Furthermore, it is one of fifteen films listed in the category "Religion" on the Vatican film list . The music, scored by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, ranked 1st on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Classic 100 Music in the Movies . </P>

Where did the movie the mission take place