A Walk to Beautiful (www.walktobeautiful.com) tells the stories of five Ethiopian women who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries and embark on a journey to reclaim their lost dignity. Rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, these women are left to spend the rest of their lives in loneliness and shame. The trials they endure -- and their attempts to rebuild their lives -- tell a universal story of hope, courage, and transformation.A Walk to Beautiful Recently given the IDA (International Documentary Association) Award for Best Feature Documentary, A Walk to Beautiful was produced by Engel Entertainment, the award-winning production company best known for producing high-quality television series and specials across a wide variety of non-fiction genres, running the gamut from science and history to reality formats. A Walk to Beautiful will be released in New York City and Los Angeles in February, 2008. The film is also scheduled for North American Broadcast premiere on the acclaimed series NOVA on PBS in late Spring 2008.
“Our church is proud to offer A Walk to Beautiful free to the public on behalf of Engel Entertainment, says Pastor Jeff Gang, one of CrossWalk’s co-pastors. “CrossWalk seeks to be community that is learning to love well. Part of this means being advocates for marginalized peoples such as the women in the A Walk to Beautiful story. We hope this film will encourage more advocacy and solidarity in our community with the plight of African women.”
Through the intimate experiences the five women share, we are no longer in the heart of Africa—we are in their hearts. And through their eyes a larger story is revealed, that of the seemingly intractable problems facing women in the developing world, including malnutrition, child marriage, and lack of obstetric care. During the evening attendees will be invited to support organizations like the Fistula Foundation (www. www.fistulafoundation.org) and Maternity Worldwide (www.maternityworldwide.org).
Writer/Director Mary Olive Smith says, “Five percent of all pregnancies throughout the world end up obstructed. In A Walk to Beautiful, we see whatwe are no longer in the heart of Africa—we are in their hearts happens when Caesarean sections aren’t available. Add to that the fact that most girls in the countryside are undernourished and married off too young, a high rate of obstructed labor resulting in death or severe injury becomes inevitable. The girls have no idea why they leak or that it won’t stop without surgical intervention. We hope that we ultimately achieved a compelling balance and that we have shared the journeys of Ayehu, Yenenesh, Almaz, Wubete and Zewdie with the dignity they deserve.”
For more information about the screening of A Walk to Beautiful at the CrossWalk Seventh-day Adventist Church, please contact Pastor Jeff Gang at
909.796.3000 or jeff@crosswalkministries.com.
###
