This powerful drama is the story of Damien, who in 1872 went to the island of Molokai, where those suffering from leprosy had been exiled and forced to live in miserable surroundings, abandoned from the outside world. Little by little, Damien earned the trust of the lepers, and eventually, his appeals for workers and supplies resonated throughout the world. Even after Damien got sick himself, his energy did not abate, and he carried on working for the well-being of his "fellow lepers" to the end. Starring David Wenham, Sam Neill, Kris Kristofferson, and Peter O'Toole (John Briley, Oscar winner for Gandhi, wrote the script).
"This biography of Father Damien, the Catholic priest who in 1873 volunteered for service on the eponymous Hawaiian leper colony, doesn't hesitate to idolize its subject, and why should it? For 15 years Damien ministered almost single-handedly to the quarantined community, supplying what medication he could procure while struggling against the red tape from organizations (religious and governmental) that would rather have forgotten all about the hundreds of people slowly dying in primitive conditions." (from an Amazon.com review)
This DVD is playable in all regions. Time: 1 hr 52 min. Rated PG |
