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CFCA produces unique documentary

Some have coined the term “docuspirational” to describe it.

Whatever term you use, the project will make CFCA history. The film is intended to tell an authentic story of the life, struggle and hopes of people who are sponsored through CFCA..

The end result will be a 70-to 90-minute film showing Christian and Muslim families living together harmoniously in an area of the Philippines where terrorist attacks occur.

But the documentary, which is scheduled to be finished in 2009, will contain much more.

The making of the unique documentary is an attempt by CFCA to communicate the story of its work with children, youth and aging to a much wider audience than previously reached through other channels.

Although the film will have a professional, broadcast quality, it doesn’t carry a Hollywood price tag. Because it’s being produced by an independent filmmaker, the documentary is being made on a shoestring budget.

Watch the preview at www.zamboangathemovie.com


A vision is born
The unusual project is a first for CFCA. It grew out of a suggestion by independent filmmaker John Nosack. Nosack, who volunteered for CFCA in the Philippines and once worked at CFCA’s Kansas City headquarters, helped CFCA create short videos. Those turned out to be an excellent way for people to see the impact of CFCA’s work. Nosack proposed that CFCA tell its story through a longer and even more captivating documentary.

Paul Pearce, director of international programs at CFCA, liked the idea. But he took it one step further. He wanted to end the documentary with an outdoor musical concert in the Philippines attended by sponsored members and their families. The concert was CFCA’s way of thanking the families for the tremendous gift and example they are to their communities, to their sponsors and to the world.

Read more about the concert

Journey of filming
Filming took place during four trips to the Philippines and included visits to a school situated in a garbage dump site and a three-day hike into the mountains to visit the Dumagat tribal people, who are struggling to keep their homelands. On the hike, Nosack, Pearce and Kansas City musician Barclay Martin lived with the Dumagats, sleeping on the ground, bathing in streams and sharing meals and stories at night around a campfire.

Nosack also taped, among others, a young woman who survived a terrorist bombing and a married couple (he's Catholic and she's Muslim) talking about bringing up their children to respect people of all faiths.

A message with music
The movie is about fighting poverty, helping children and making music," Nosack said. "It's also about religious tolerance. The plan is to tell a story about these musically gifted children who are facing the obstacle of poverty and happen to live where terrorist strikes occur."

In order to learn Filipino music and get inspiration for writing original songs for the concert and documentary, musician Martin joined Nosack and Pearce on trips to the Philippines. Martin worked with CFCA projects to identify talented children or youth to perform in the concert. Some of the Filipino folk musicians who are part of the concert signed on to work with CFCA youth musicians to teach them to play indigenous instruments.

Distributing the story
Nosack hopes the powerful message of the documentary will interest a public broadcasting television channel or international film festivals. CFCA also plans to make the documentary available on DVD and on its Web site for sponsors who want to host a movie night with family and friends.

According to CFCA’s Pearce, one ingredient that makes the documentary and concert unusual is the relationship and trust CFCA has built over the years with families throughout the Philippines.

“The concert really is a celebration of the fact that CFCA has been there before, during and after the event,” he said. “We take a long-term view of our work there. What struck me is how the Filipinos accepted us. Some people might have said, ‘What business do you have hiking with us and taping us around the campfire?’ But they didn’t.”

Watch a preview of the documentary and learn more at www.zamboangathemovie.com