Product Description

A difficult journey that begins in loneliness and shame for thousands of Ethiopian women ends in a productive new life and hope for the future in this award-winning film. Shot against a starkly beautiful landscape, A Walk to Beautiful shares the inspiring stories of three women, rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, who leave home in search of treatment for obstetric fistula. Once common in the pre-industrial United States, this life-shattering complication of childbirth is now relegated to the poorest regions of the world. In Ethiopia alone, there are an estimated 100,000 women suffering from untreated fistulas.

In a courageous attempt to reclaim their lives, these women embark on a journey to a remarkable hospital, walking for hours to the nearest road; searching for public transportation to the capital, Addis Ababa. Finally, surrounded by women like themselves and a compassionate medical team of Western and African doctors who treat them with respect, they find a haven that they never imagined, transforming their long and arduous trek into a "walk to beautiful."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20056 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-08-12
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 56 minutes

Customer Reviews

humbling, sublime, and beautiful
When I came across this documentary on PBS I was left quite breathless. The context of the documentary, the visual imagery, and the "texture" of the survival mode these women are in truly will inspire you to appreciate some of the simple pleasures we take for granted in life. Moreover, the staff at the Fistula Hospital were wonderful, committed, and compassionate. Mind you, I'm an American writing about this from our world, one with HMOs rushing patients through the system, where the medical establishment continues to slowly capitulate to the private interests of profit, where we have no nationalized health care.

Existentially, A Walk to Beautiful also shows how medical institutions runned by compassion-based medics create new meanings for those whose lives have been completely scripted for them by patriarchy and ageless traditions that cannot keep up with the realities and stimuli of twenty-first century poverty and destitution.

My favorite scenes? When Ayehu was cured and she walks through the forest to go home. The human spirit shone nicely through her posture, determination and grit. When I showed this documentary to my class my students (I'm a male professor), female and yes, male students, were left breathless. Almaz lecturing her husband after the surgery was wonderful, as was Wubete's new found joy with the children of Grace Village, especially her comments on Iyassu, "who pouts".

Many of my students wrote me afterward saying how this documentary changed their lives. I also wanted to add that the music in the film sounded authentically from the region (with the exception of the syncopated "Amazing Grace" at the end of the documentary). There were some hymns and melodies that were highly appropriate since they come from the beautiful voice of Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shibabaw, a world-renown Ethiopian artist. Watch this documentary. Smith and Bucher, along with their team, captured a depth of humanity in a context that was refreshing, deep, and profound. A Walk to Beautiful will alter your consciousness forever...

a heartwrenching film, every woman/mother should see
I saw this film originally on T.V. May 13 on Nova. The stories of the affected women made me cry. What a horrible existence they had been left to, until they were able to get to the special hospital. I also cried for them tears of joy when they were "cured" of their injuries. This was a heartwrenching film, one every woman/mother should see. We are so lucky to live where we do and have access to such great health care. I would like to purchase this DVD when it is released because I would like many of my friends and family to see it and help with donations to this cause.

An accurate account
It was with great pleasure that I watched "Walk to Beautiful", but not without tears of joy and sympathy. The film captured the wonderful staff caring for the constant stream of patients with fistula injury, many of whom have been suffering for years mentally, emotionally, socially and physically.
The 5 case studies presented in the film all showed such dignity and perserverance, it was easy to travel with them on their journey and hope for their recovery.
As an Australian I was very proud that the work started 50 years ago by Drs Reg and Catherine Hamlin from Sydney is still very much going strong and growing! More satellite hospitals now exist in more remote parts of the country and doctors from all over Africa are being trained in the surgical techniques needed. The co-founder Catherine Hamlin's vision to PREVENT the injury from occuring by training midwives to work in villages is a wonderful way to celebrate 50 years of compassionate service.