WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
LOG LINE
When tribal feuds ignite a firestorm of violence, three surgeons unite for peace.
SYNOPSIS
Francis grew up with little schooling during the Sudanese Civil War. Ajak is a Lost Boy who has
returned to the tribe he fled as a child. Both men are protégés of Glenn, a grizzled, but brilliant
American surgeon. WE ARE THE ONES follows these healers as they fight to prevent illness and
mend wounds in the world's newest country. After long-running tribal divides erupt into violent raids that threaten their villages and clinics, these
men embark on a journey to protect their patients and bring peace to their people. From inside operating rooms to intimate visits with victims of tribal violence, WE ARE THE
ONES blends vérité techniques with cinematic visuals to bring the audience a visceral front line
account of the constant war between life and death in South Sudan.
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT We met Dr. Glenn Geelhoed at his
commencement ceremony at George
Washington University. He was
receiving one of his many advanced
degrees. Glenn seemed like a
fascinating character so we pulled
him aside, talked with him, and
inquired to see how he puts so much
knowledge to use. Glenn told us
about his countless mission trips to underdeveloped countries. He told us about his goal to teach
and empower indigenous healthcare workers. It was then that Glenn told us about his work with
Ajak and Francis and offered us three seats on his next charter flight to South Sudan.
We thought that the story would revolve around the transference of knowledge from teacher to
student and the empowerment of these already remarkable Sudanese surgeons. Ajak and Francis are
two men from rival tribes. Ajak is a Dinka man and Francis a member of the Nuer tribe. While we
were following these men, there was an outbreak of tribal violence in the villages we visited. We saw
first hand the impact the violence had on the
communities. Women were tortured,
children were abducted, and people lost
their lives. The film evolved to tell the story
of how Ajak and Francis chose to stand up
against these long running tribal divides and
use medicine as a bridge for peace. Before we knew what our story was, we
knew how we wanted to tell it. We did not record on-camera interviews and never wanted to take the
audience out of the experience by breaking the fourth wall. Blending elements of cinema vérité and
lush visuals, we've provided the audience an intimate, personal, frontline account of the struggle
between life and death in the world's newest country.
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
SCREENINGS & AWARDS
IFP Spotlight on Documentaries Project Forum (2011)
Ron Kovic Peace Prize Finalist (Trailer) presented by The MY HERO Project (2014)
My Hero Award Winner (Trailer) presented by The MY HERO Project (2014)
Montreal International Black Film Festival, WORLD PREMIERE (2014)
Tallgrass International Film Festival, U.S. PREMIERE (2014)
San Diego Black Film Festival (2015)
Toronto Black Film Festival co-presented by Hot Docs, TORONTO PREMIERE (2015)
Pan African Film Festival, LOS ANGELES PREMIERE (2015)
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (2015)
Newport Beach Film Festival (2015)
Merit Award of Awareness presented by the Awareness Film Festival (2015)
Best Feature Documentary Finalist presented by CINE (2015)
Medical Mission Symposium Special Event Screening presented by Mission to Heal (2015)
DocNight presented by the Denver Film Society (2015)
Vail Symposium Summer Film Series (2015)
CHARACTERS
Francis Gai is a Nuer man who grew up with little schooling
during the civil war. Through his “on-the-job” training, Francis has
learned to perform a number of surgeries, including a lid eversion
procedure that combats trachoma – a leading cause of blindness in
South Sudan.
Ajak Abraham is a member of the Dinka tribe. He is also a
Lost Boy and former child soldier. After living in Cuba, Canada, and
Kenya, Ajak has returned to South Sudan as a doctor on a mission
to lead the struggling region in a new direction.
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
Glenn Geelhoed is a brilliant American surgeon. Glenn
has been leading medical mission trips to underdeveloped countries
for nearly forty years. Glenn’s mission is to empower underresourced but ambitious healers with the confidence and skills to
treat and lead without the assistance of foreign aid.
(mission2heal.org)
CREDITS
Director
Michael Skinner
Jon Michael Shink
Producers
Michael Skinner
Jon Michael Shink
Cinematography
Michael Skinner
Jon Michael Shink
Production Audio
Glen Piegari
Editor
Jon Michael Shink
Post Production Audio
Pete Penebre, Burning Barn Sound + Music
Original Score
Adrienne Penebre, Burning Barn Sound + Music
Graphics
Ian Pullens, Gesture Creative
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT
(From left to right: Jon Michael Shink, Michael Skinner, Glen Piegari, Ajak Abraham)
FILMMAKERS
Michael Skinner and Jon Michael Shink are the lead producers for Pendragwn Productions, a film
and video production company based in Washington, DC. For more than 15 years, Pendragwn has
produced documentary, advocacy, and public service projects for non-profits, government agencies,
and corporate clients. They have received national and international awards for their work including
multiple Telly and Hermes Creative Awards. Michael and Jon are passionate about the power of
storytelling to change the world. WE ARE THE ONES marks their first feature documentary.
CONTACT
jonmichael@pendragwn.com| www.wearetheones-movie.com |
facebook.com/WeAreTheOnesMovie | @WeAreThe_Ones | +1 (412) 629 - 5099
WE ARE THE ONES - PRESS KIT