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Angels In the DustOVERVIEW  Genre: DocumentaryLanguage: English Country of Origin: South Africa Opens in Theaters: 9/14/07 CAST & CREW Writer/Director: Louise Hogarth Producer: James Egan Producer: Louise Hogarth Co-Producer: Tessa Treadway Producer (South Africa): Rosalie Pelser Distributor: Cinema Libre Studio Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann Credits not contractual ANGELS IN THE DUST is the inspiring story of Marion Cloete, a university-trained therapist who—with her husband and two daughters—fearlessly walked away from a privileged life in a wealthy Johannesburg suburb to establish Boikarabelo (formerly Botshabelo), an extraordinary village and school that provide shelter, food, and education to more than 550 South African children. The tale of Marion and the orphans she cares for is echoed in a dramatic parallel saga of the orphaned elephants of Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa. The longtime government practice of culling— killing adult elephants to control herd sizes—tore apart the complex social fabric of elephant culture, a fabric that is not unlike that of the traditionally close-knit African village. As a result, orphaned elephants grew up exhibiting unusually violent behavior, such as attacking and goring rhinos. But elder elephants were recently introduced into the Pilanesberg population to resocialize the young. The experiment is working—and it offers a resonant reflection of the healing taking place for the human children being “reparented” by Marion at Boikarabelo (formerly Botshabelo). ANGELS IN THE DUST is the story of a courageous, self-sacrificing, fiercely loving woman who chooses a spiritual path over a material one; it tells of the life-changing power of one compassionate heart. For a nation overwhelmed by an epidemic of HIV/AIDS, orphans, rape, violence, and Apartheid’s legacy of social and political unrest, the film offers a clear pathway of hope and a replicable paradigm for the future. "...Nothing short of wondrous" -- NY Magazine IN THE DUST won the 2007 Emerging Pictures/Full Frame Audience Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the 2007 Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival. Learn more about the film. Also see: Dream Out Loud site Press Photos Right click on links to download  Marion Cloete and the children of the Boikarabelo orphanage High Res | Low Res  Marion Cloete a child, and the elephant of the Boikarabelo orphanage High Res | Low Res  Marion Cloete and the children of the Boikarabelo orphanage High Res | Low Res  Con and Marion Cloete and the children of the Boikarabelo orphanage High Res | Low Res  Marion Cloete, the children, and the elephant of the Boikarabelo orphanage High Res | Low Res  The children of the Boikarabelo orphanage and film crew High Res | Low Res  Marion and Con Cloete of the Boikarabelo orphanage High Res | Low Res  Director Louise Hogarth - photo by Garth Meyer High Res | Low Res Director's Statement By Louise Hogarth Before deciding to make this documentary, I heard many stories of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa but what affected me most was the vast number of children afflicted by the virus. South Africa is among the hardest hit nations in the world, with more AIDS orphans than any other country. South Africa also has one of the highest incidences of rape and child rape in the world. There are currently two million orphans in South Africa, 1.2 million of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS. In 2005, AIDS was the cause of parental death for 48% of all newly orphaned children in South Africa. These numbers are expected to rise over the next seven to 10 years. The most serious and lasting consequence of the African AIDS pandemic is its impact on children. Historically, African orphans have been taken in by grandparents, extended family members, friends or neighbors but the magnitude of the AIDS crisis has simply overwhelmed these traditional safety nets, leaving orphans to fend for themselves. Many live in child-headed households, where the eldest raises the younger siblings; others end up living on the streets. Without parents or caregivers to provide for and protect them, orphaned children often suffer from abject poverty, hunger and poor health and are victims of violence or sexual coercion. Many lose access to education, thereby furthering this cycle of poverty and deprivation, often for their lifetimes. These reports and statistics made me very angry. Then I found the Boikarabelo orphanage. My film centers on the compelling and charismatic founder of the orphanage, Marion Cloete and her incredible young charges, orphans suffering from AIDS and the terrible effects of all the afore-mentioned ills. Marion and her immediate family chose a spiritual world over a material one, devoting their lives to this orphanage so that these children have a chance at a better life because of it. The Cloetes walked away from a privileged life in Johannesburg over 15 years ago to found this orphanage and have experienced tough times but never regretted their decision. The Cloete family demonstrates courage, tolerance, forgiveness and a love of humanity that I have never encountered anywhere. Click Here to Download the Press Notes For Press Inquiries - contact: Cathy Mouton Cinema Libre Studio Ph:818-349-8822 cmouton@cinemalibrestudio.com Rachel Aberly Participant Productions 310-550-5109 rachel.aberly@participantproductions.com Wellington Love 15minutes PR 212-366-4992 wellingtonlove@15minutespr.com For Distribution Inquiries - contact: Richard Castro Cinema Libre Studio 8328 DE Soto Avenue Canoga Park, CA 91304 Ph: 818-349-8822 FX: 818-349-9922 rcastro@cinemalibrestudio.com
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