Living Hope: The Documentary DVD

LIVING HOPE is the story of three extraordinary individuals who have devoted their lives to serving the poor in South Africa. It is a feature length documentary created by the filmmakers behind Journey to Everest, Apostles of Comedy, and Honoring a Father’s Dream: Sons of Lwala.  John Thomas, a pastor who is leading his church to serve the sick, hungry, and dying in the communities that surround them. Journey beside John through the neighborhoods where they work, meet the people their ministry has impacted, and hear from his heart why they chose to make a stand for the poor.  Joey Lankford, a businessman and father of four who moved his young family from the United States to Cape Town. Journey beside Joey as he equips men and women with job skills, and leads them out of the bondage of poverty.  Leonie Rustin, a single mom and nursing assistant, who turned from a life of crippling drug addiction to follow Christ. Journey beside Leonie as she attempts to help other in her community unshackle the chains of addiction and prostitution.

My Review: I am not always a fan of documentaries, but this is a well made film that draws you into the lives of the people who have been impacted by Living Hope Ministries. The stories were not necessarily connected, but were smoothly woven together to give an overall view of the impressive work being done by those who simply want to love Jesus through others, and how the results have made a difference that keep giving. I loved the way Living Hope is split into 4 ministries that deal with specific issues:
Living Care -   Healthcare
Living Grace - Homeless and addiction
Living Right -  HIV education and prevention
Living Way -   Economic empowerment

 John Thomas, a pastor who is leading his church to serve the sick, hungry, and dying in the communities that surround them. Journey beside John and his wife, Avril, through the neighborhoods where they work, meet the people their ministry has impacted, and hear from his heart why they chose to make a stand for the poor.

Leonie Rustin, a single mom and nursing assistant, who turned from a life of crippling drug addiction to follow Christ. Journey beside Leonie as she attempts to help other in her community unshackle the chains of addiction and prostitution. She now works as a nursing assistant at Living Care Health Care and speaks to others who are going through the Living Grace system.

Joey Lankford, a businessman and wife Courtney, along with their four children, moved from the United States to Cape Town. Journey beside Joey as he equips men and women with job skills, and leads them out of the bondage of poverty as part of Living Way. (Today Joey is the executive director of Nashville-based Cul2vate poverty alleviation ministry).
 
'Living Hope' also features President George W. Bush, Dana Perino and Michael W. Smith with narration by Joel Smallbone of King and Country and was created by the filmmakers David Kiern and Mitchell Galin. 'Living Hope' was the official selection at the UK Christian Film Festival. To learn more about Living Hope Ministries, the website is www.livinghope.co.za

I received Living Hope by Word Films compliments of Word Films and Edify Media Inc for my honest review. I did not receive any compensation aside from a free copy of this DVD.

Break Away

Break Away ( Baroudeur in South Africa) is a new film coming out from the producers of Faith Like Potatoes. Former rugby player/celebrity Francois (Frans Cronje) is a hard working husband and dad that gets laid off from his job. Despite nights of working on proposals and meetings with potential clients, there are no job offers. When his car quits he is forced to use an old bicycle in order to provide for his family by making deliveries. A group of pro-cyclists who pass him every day brings out his competitive spirit, so with the help of his “black sheep” brother (Etienne Janse van Renburg, and a bicycle shop owner (Morne Theunissen), and a curious sports reporter, Francois makes some life-changing discoveries about his life, career and faith in God. 

View the Break Away trailer.

Written and directed by Cronje and Theunissen, this is one of those films that can make a powerful impact. There were a couple of things that did bother me with the dvd, though. First was my initial difficulty in understanding some of the accents, so I really wish closed captioning had been an option. I did adapt, and it got easier, but it was still a stumbling block. The second was some sound issues. There was one spot in particular where the sound of people walking overpowered the voices, so the film definitely needed some ADR work.
 
However, this is also one of the more powerful films I have seen about relying on God through the tough times. Using the parable of the loaves and the fishes, there is a message to give God all you have and see what He does with it. In one scene, his wife (Leone Pienaar) tells him that he is to follow God, and she and the children would follow him. While he did go through moments of despair, Francois takes what is available for him to use---including his talents---and simply gives his best and relies on God to see him through. This is an excellent testimony on trusting God to provide for your needs and adapting to His plan, no matter how it looks to others.
 
The soundtrack was better than average for me. There were a couple of songs I wasn't fond of, but I loved the majority of the music--there is a version of "How Great Thou Art" that is outstanding! I was also impressed with the partnership the film has with Jacob's Well. This is a ministry that aims to build up a growing network of churches, organizations, businesses and individuals working together to help people in their communities who have lost regular income or do not have a self-sustainable income. 

I received this movie free from Word Films as part of their Blogger Review Program, via Blogger Gateway. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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Frans Cronje also has a new website, FransCronje.tv. Make sure you check out Lifestyle Revolution, his online television program.