Thank them!

A first documentary on charity was shot in Kazakhstan. Its authors Zhanna Balakayeva, a popular film director and producer and Kazakhstan honored artist Igor Gonopolski tell of incurable children and the problems their parents, doctors, public organizations encounter. This narration is subtle, warm and non-indifferent.

Zhanna Balakayeva asserts it to be the first project of such scale not only in our republic, but also in the entire CIS. The authors tried to answer the question about significance of charity and explain how disinterested aid can help those who need it.

The reply seems to be simple – it can help safe children’s lives. But the documentary’s characters look at it deeper, philosophically. “You need it for yourself”, - says a participant of “Gift children a life” action. “This is the first and main feature of a civilized society”, - another believes.

It is important to show the audience that charity brings fruits. When a sick baby is born into a family and doctors say in our country small children are not operated on, its parents are shocked and helpless. They can lose their baby at any time and only a surgery in other states can save it.

Thanks to the action “Gift children a life” arranged by “Charity volunteers’ society” fund, 241 children were saved in three years. The fund raised money for surgeries abroad. And the kids who used to be weak before treatment were given a chance to live a normal life like their peers.

-It is remarkable that even those parents who had lost their children agreed to say a few words about the film, - Zhanna recalls. –They said: thank those who help send children to Tomsk scientific-research institute of cardiology, whose specialists revive them.

Kazakhstan and Russian doctors speak in the film of the increase of heart diseases among children, of their peculiarities with Kazakhstan children. In our country we have just started performing these surgeries.

The story of every saved kid could be a separate movie, but this is a documentary one and it is valuable for its frankness, honesty and precise details. And the eyes of the children and their parents… No actor is able to show their pain and helplessness. And happiness afterwards!

Olga Malahova

Almaty

Photo: Yuri Bekker

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