Hero in America Might Debut at Major Film Festival

As post-production goes into high gear with Hero in America: Dr. Kishore and the Epidemic of Greed, the last scheduled interview was captured on film on January 19, 2018, to complete principal photography. This revolutionary documentary, created to capture and vastly extend the story told in the pages of Faith for All of Life over the last four years, is shaping up to be a game-changer. As the final magazine article prepares to go to press in the March-April 2018 edition of that magazine (the eighteenth article in this unprecedented series), we are pleased to report an exciting development concerning the movie.

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, one of the most important documentary film festivals held in the United States, is now in its twenty-first year. This year’s festival will be held in Durham, North Carolina, between April 5 and 8, 2018. The director of Hero in America, Joaquin Fernandez, was able to get our documentary entered into the competition, which means the film may qualify to be premiered at this crucial industry event. Apart from its own suite of awards (sponsored and in-house), films doing well at the Full Frame Festival have a leg-up in other venues as well. (It is reported that Full Frame is a “qualifying festival” for other awards, such as the Producers Guild of America Award and the short subject documentary category for the Academy Awards, making it a gateway for the most compelling documentary films of the year.)

The subject matter of Hero in America certainly elevates it to the sphere of cultural relevance, considering the massive scope of the tragedy. But the film is unique in not only properly exposing the core problem but also the unforgiveable devastation arising in the wake of state action against Dr. Punyamurtula S. Kishore, the addiction medicine pioneer who had revolutionized the treatment of this deadly scourge. The film moves from darkness to light (a rarity considering the subject matter) by pointing the way forward to the long-sought solution that was taken off-line in September 2011.

Medical authorities of the highest caliber appear on-camera to uphold Dr. Kishore’s integrity and validate the results of his work. Gripping testimony from former patients and co-workers put a stake deep into the ground, making the all-important human connection, anchoring the narrative in real life. The “three acts” comprising this documentary unfold in such a way as to convey the fact that this is not just another addiction film. This joint collaboration between Great Commission Films and the Chalcedon Foundation is intended to put forth the answers … something either woefully missing in other films, or sadly tied to the deadly status quo and the phony “gold standard” promoted by powerful lobbies intent on maintaining their monopolies.

There is no question that this has been one of the largest projects that Chalcedon has ever undertaken, intended to illustrate how Biblical principles, when faithfully applied, change our world for the better. Restoring lives that are utterly lost to addictive drugs, or in bondage to status quo treatments with substitute narcotics, is a huge undertaking. Why should Kingdom men and women shy away from the deepest problems in our culture when we’re able to bring light into the darkest corners? Big Pharma and Big Government have enjoyed free rein and the toll on the world only worsens.

It is time for the world to see Christian Reconstruction in action, and this film will play a major part in realizing that goal.