Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
The Human Experience is a documentary film, produced by Grassroots Films, which tells the story of Jeffrey Azize and his travels, as he searches for answers to the question: what does it mean to be human? The film is divided into the three experiences, which take Jeffrey and his friends to New York, to Peru, and to Ghana. The Human Experience is rated PG-13.
Production
The Human Experience is produced by Grassroots Films’ Joseph Campo, Clifford Azize and Michael Campo. The film is directed by Charles Kinnane.
Plot
The first experience follows Jeffrey and his brother Clifford to the streets of New York City where the boys live with the homeless for a week in one of the coldest winters on record. The boys look for hope and camaraderie among their homeless companions, learning how to survive on the streets.
During their second experience, the brothers join a group of surfers from Surf For The Cause traveling to Peru. There, they visit a hospital for abandoned children in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The boys are surprised to find joy among the children and their caretakers despite serious medical problems.
Throughout the story, the film features commentary from spiritual, artistic, and medical experts and philosophers, including William B. Hurlbut M.D.; Rabbi Simon Jacobson; Dr. Alveda King; and Rev. Richard Neuhaus.
Their final experience takes the brothers, along with their friends Michael Campo and Matthew Sanchez, to Africa. Michael is on his way to visit a leper colony in rural Ghana. On their way to the colony, the boys meet victims of AIDS and their families. Once they reach the leper colony, they befriend disfigured lepers who have been exiled from their villages.
At the end of the film, the boys return to their life in New York with a changed outlook and insight into the human condition.
Screenings and Releases
Pre-screenings of the film were held within the United States as well as internationally. The film was initially screened in “rough cut”. The first public pre-screening was held on January 26, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Human Experience was theatrically released in select Harkins Theatres in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas on April 9, 2010 in the midst of a world screening tour. The tour encompassed over 400 screenings in 15 countries across North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.
The film was released on DVD and V.O.D. by distributor New Video’s DocuRama Films on March 29, 2011.
Reception
The film was well-received at the Maui Film Festival (2008). Harriet Yahr of indieWire called it, "A doc with so much heart in the right place." Alicia Colon, writer for the Irish Examiner and NYSUN.com of the described The Human Experience as, "Inspiring... an affirmation of what binds all of us around the world-our humanity."
The film has also been endorsed by several religious entities. The Archbishop of Denver released a statement on his official website. "Grassroots Films has produced an astonishing witness to the beauty of the human person under the most trying conditions. For anyone committed to the cause of human dignity, or simply hungry to again see the beauty in life, it shouldn’t be missed." In June, the Archbishop of Krakow, Poland sent an open letter to the producers of The Human Experience, which concluded with a hope that the film would "contribute to an ever deeper knowledge of the essence of human life and human dignity."
Awards
The film has won many awards and festival accolades, including the Audience Choice Award at the American Cinematic Experience at Tribeca (2009 ACEfest) and Best Documentary at the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival (2009 DocuFest Atlanta).
Soundtrack
An original score composed by Thomas J. Bergersen is featured in The Human Experience. The soundtrack, titled The Human Experience: Music from the Motion Picture was released on March 29, 2011.