Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 2007
A Walk to Beautiful
Buy A Walk to Beautiful now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'A Walk to Beautiful' is a 2007 American documentary film, executive produced by Steven M. Engel and Helen Diana ("Heidi") Reavis, produced and distributed by Engel Entertainment, about women who suffer from childbirth injuries in Ethiopia. In 2007, it 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.
Production and release
The film was funded by Engel Entertainment and also received grants from 'NOVA', 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.[http://www.film-releases.com/movies/film-information/movie-6343 A Walk to Beautiful releases] from Film-releases.com. Retrieved on March 9, 2008. This same year, it airs on Public Broadcasting Service's 'Nova' series, starting from May 13, 2008.[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beautiful/ Nova series:A walk to beautiful] from Pbs.org. Retrieved on March 11, 2008.
Synopsis
'A Walk to Beautiful' tells the stories of five women in Ethiopia 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 chose to reclaim her life by taking the long and exhausting journey to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, so she could receive the medical treatment available only there. Upon arriving at the hospital, the women are treated free of charge, resulting in new beginnings. Not every patient can be cured, but each woman takes her own journey toward becoming an independent and productive member of her community once again.
Reception
Critical reaction
The documentary was given positive reviews by critics. 'Metacritic' reported the film had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on six reviews, classifying 'A Walk to Beautiful' as a universal acclaim. It was regarded as "competently made, precisely shot, and buoyantly humanistic" by 'Variety',[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935754.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 Film review] from Variety magazine. Retrieved on March 9, 2008. 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."[http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-walk29feb29,0,1459049.story A Walk to Beautiful review] from the 'Los Angeles Times'. Retrieved on March 9, 2008. According to 'The New York Times', 'A Walk to Beautiful' quietly criticises a chauvinist society in some countries where women are considered "lovers, mothers, and servants", and anyone who cannot fulfill these roles is disregarded by her community.[https://movies.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/movies/08walk.html?ref=movies Healing Cultural Wounds] from 'The New York Times'. Retrieved on March 9, 2008.Box office
As of February 2008, the film had grossed $7,718 dollars in the United States.[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=walktobeautiful.htm 'A Walk to Beautiful' 2008] from Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on March 27, 2008.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. It was named by the International Documentary Association as the Best Feature documentary film of the year.[http://www.documentary.org/programs/awards.php Awards] from International Documentary Association. Retrieved on March 9, 2008.[https://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117977361.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1&query=a+walk+to+beautiful 'Walk to Beautiful' tops IDA awards] from 'Variety'. It 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.[http://fest07.sffs.org/awards/gga.php AWARDS | GOLDEN GATE AWARDS | San Francisco Film Festival] .[http://www.cinemastlouis.org/2007/sliff_awards.html Cinema St Louis] .At the international Denver Film Festival, it was given Peoples Choice Award for best documentary.[http://www.denverfilm.org/about/news/detail.aspx?NID=103&year=2007 News in 2007 | News | Denver Film Society at the Starz FilmCenter].
References
Buy A Walk to Beautiful now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 2007