A new documentary film about the work of global child hunger charity Mary’s Meals has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival.
Mary’s Meals aims to provide children with daily meals in their place of education in poor areas throughout the world. Generation Hope, which features Hollywood actor Gerard Butler and highlights the difference a nutritious daily meal in school can make for children living in the world’s most impoverished communities, will be screened at the 69th Cannes festival in May.
Filmed at Mary’s Meals’ projects in Malawi, Haiti, and India, the half-hour documentary is included in the festival’s Short Film Corner.
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, the founder and CEO of Mary’s Meals, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that this beautiful and inspiring film has been selected to be shown at Cannes. When we were filming Generation Hope, we couldn’t have imagined it would enjoy the exposure offered by such a high-profile international event. It’s an incredible gift to bring our work to new eyes, new ears, and new hearts in this way.”
Ahead of Cannes, Generation Hope was launched on April 15, with premiere events taking place across six continents. The charity is asking its supporters to stage screenings of the film in their communities. Screening packs are available to order from the charity’s website.
“We began by feeding just 200 children in Malawi in 2002, but today – thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our supporters – we are reaching more than a million hungry and impoverished children every school day,” MacFarlane-Barrow said.
“And now, at this point in our growth, we see that a beautiful revolution is taking place as a new generation, once fed by Mary’s Meals, begins to find its voice. We call them ‘Generation Hope’. This is what this film is about – the university students, singers, farmers, teachers, DJs, footballers, and a myriad of other happy young people who, well-nourished and well-educated, are now finding their own way in life.”
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