Lots of people talk about living each day as if it were their last, but Maria Prean actually does. Janina Huettenrauch's inspiring documentary follows the work of Prean, who at age 60 left her native Austria in 1994 for a Christian mission in Uganda, where she remains today. Moved by the hardships of poverty and hunger suffered by millions of children, Prean led the charge in building schools and residences for several thousand orphans, finding key allies in an Anglican bishop, master builders, military leaders, and the nation's First Lady. Over time, Prean added a vocational school and developed a vision for an economically efficient community with shops and services that would keep people employed. Much of the film finds Prean hard at work while also governing a volunteer staff involved in everything from treating an epidemic of scabies among the kids to laying cable for the community's Internet access. The second half of the documentary follows a children's choir from Prean's school that tours Europe, performing before appreciative audiences. This meeting of cultures is truly heartwarming to see, but the real lesson here is that one person can do so much good in the world through determination and persistence. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)
Maria Prean: Life Gets Better and Better
(2012) 55 min. DVD: $19.99. Staengle Media Produktion (dist. by Vision Video). Volume 28, Issue 4
Maria Prean: Life Gets Better and Better
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