A Walk to Beautiful
Encyclopedia
A Walk to Beautiful is a 2007 American
documentary film
produced and distributed by Engel Entertainment, directed by Mary Olive Smith and field director Amy Bucher about women who suffer from childbirth injuries in Ethiopia
. In 2007, the film premiered in film festivals and was chosen for the International Documentary Association
Best Feature Documentary Film of the Year award. The following year, the film opened in theaters in the United States in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. A 52-minute version of "A Walk to Beautiful" that premiered on NOVA on PBS on May 13, 2008 won the 2009 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Informational Programming (Long Form) category on September 21, 2009 at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony on September 21, 2009 at Rose Hall, Lincoln Center in New York City.
, Fistula Foundation
, The Marianthi Foundation, UNFPA, The Fledgling Film Fund, and private donors.
A Walk to Beautiful premiered in 2007, and was theatrically released by its production company, Engel Entertainment, in the United States on February 8, 2008 in New York
and on February 29, 2008 in Los Angeles
. This same year, the film airs on Public Broadcasting Service
's Nova series
, starting from May 13, 2008.
who are ostracized by their family and villages due to their suffering from obstetric fistula
, a serious medical condition caused by failed childbirth under conditions of insurmountable poverty and inadequate health care. These women live in isolation with a sense of loneliness and shame due to rejection by their own. Each of these five women choose to reclaim their lives by taking the long and exhausting journey to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital
so they could receive the medical treatment available only there. Upon arriving at the hospital, the women are treated free of charge, resulting in new beginnings. However, not every patient can be cured, but each woman takes her own journey toward becoming independent and productive members of their communities once again.
reported the film had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, classifying A Walk to Beautiful as a universal acclaim. The film was regarded as "competently made, precisely shot and buoyantly humanistic" by Variety magazine, and Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times commented that "A Walk to Beautiful will leave you speechless two times over – first with despair, then with joy. Neither unmentionable subject matter nor nonexistent commercial prospects can keep this documentary from having a power over your heart that is unparalleled." According to the New York Times, A Walk to Beautiful quietly criticises a chauvinist society existed in some countries where women are considered "lovers, mothers and servants", and anyone who cannot fulfill these roles is disregarded by their community.
as the Best Feature documentary film of the year. The film also received the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
and the Audience Choice Award and Interfaith Award for Best Documentary at the 16th Annual AT&T St. Louis International Film Festival.
At the international Denver Film Festival
, the film was given People’s Choice Award for best documentary.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced and distributed by Engel Entertainment, directed by Mary Olive Smith and field director Amy Bucher about women who suffer from childbirth injuries in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. In 2007, the film premiered in film festivals and was chosen for the International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
Best Feature Documentary Film of the Year award. The following year, the film opened in theaters in the United States in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. A 52-minute version of "A Walk to Beautiful" that premiered on NOVA on PBS on May 13, 2008 won the 2009 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Informational Programming (Long Form) category on September 21, 2009 at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony on September 21, 2009 at Rose Hall, Lincoln Center in New York City.
Production and release
The film was funded by Engel Entertainment, and also received grants from NOVANOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
, Fistula Foundation
Fistula Foundation
The Fistula Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of and funding for obstetric fistula treatment, prevention and education programs worldwide. The Foundation is the largest private organization dedicated solely to fighting fistula globally....
, The Marianthi Foundation, UNFPA, The Fledgling Film Fund, and private donors.
A Walk to Beautiful premiered in 2007, and was theatrically released by its production company, Engel Entertainment, in the United States on February 8, 2008 in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and on February 29, 2008 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. This same year, the film airs on Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
's Nova series
NOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
, starting from May 13, 2008.
Plot
A Walk to Beautiful tells the stories of five women in EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
who are ostracized by their family and villages due to their suffering from obstetric fistula
Obstetric fistula
Obstetric fistula is a severe medical condition in which a fistula develops between either the rectum and vagina or between the bladder and vagina after severe or failed childbirth, when adequate medical care is not available.-Symptoms and signs:The resulting disorders typically include...
, a serious medical condition caused by failed childbirth under conditions of insurmountable poverty and inadequate health care. These women live in isolation with a sense of loneliness and shame due to rejection by their own. Each of these five women choose to reclaim their lives by taking the long and exhausting journey to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital
Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital
Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and its regional Hamlin Fistula Centres provide comprehensive care for women who suffer from incontinence, physical impairment, shame and marginalisation as a result of an obstetric fistula...
so they could receive the medical treatment available only there. Upon arriving at the hospital, the women are treated free of charge, resulting in new beginnings. However, not every patient can be cured, but each woman takes her own journey toward becoming independent and productive members of their communities once again.
Critical reaction
The documentary was given positive reviews by critics. MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, classifying A Walk to Beautiful as a universal acclaim. The film was regarded as "competently made, precisely shot and buoyantly humanistic" by Variety magazine, and Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times commented that "A Walk to Beautiful will leave you speechless two times over – first with despair, then with joy. Neither unmentionable subject matter nor nonexistent commercial prospects can keep this documentary from having a power over your heart that is unparalleled." According to the New York Times, A Walk to Beautiful quietly criticises a chauvinist society existed in some countries where women are considered "lovers, mothers and servants", and anyone who cannot fulfill these roles is disregarded by their community.
Nominations and awards
"A Walk to Beautiful" was awarded the Emmy in the Informational Programming (Long Form) category on September 21, 2009 by the NATAS. A Walk to Beautiful was named by the International Documentary AssociationInternational Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
as the Best Feature documentary film of the year. The film also received the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
and the Audience Choice Award and Interfaith Award for Best Documentary at the 16th Annual AT&T St. Louis International Film Festival.
At the international Denver Film Festival
Denver Film Festival
The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily in the Tivoli Union on the Auraria Campus and the new Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver Colorado...
, the film was given People’s Choice Award for best documentary.
External links
- Official site
- A Walk to Beautiful at Box Office MojoBox Office MojoBox Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
- A Walk to Beautiful Film Screening & Reception with Mary Olive Smith held at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, May 2008