Church Social Mission – “Fazendas Of Hope”

This cycle of documentaries tells about “Fazendas of Hope”, the network of Centers of spiritual rehabilitation of drug-addicts launched in Brazil more than twenty years and developed almost on every continent. The Pope Benedict’s XVI visit to one of the Fazendas during his trip to Brazil in May, 2007 is an act of recognition of the world network of Fazendas. In front of recuperates and visitors, the Pope has blessed the founder of Fazendas priest-Franciscan Hans Stapel to continue his service.

The purpose of the project is to show, that with God’s help it is possible to find rescue even from drug addiction, that our power to resist the evil is in unity and in love to God and to each other.

Drug-addiction is the curse of the modern world. People, who have lost God, search for rescue in the narcotic oblivion. Drug industry is one of the most profitable in the world as it has extended and now is prospering on the whole globe. Attempts to resist to this evil are undertaken everywhere both by doctors and psychologists, government officials, addict’s parents, priests, volunteers etc. Unfortunate statistics testify that social methods succeed in 7 up to 15 percent of the suffering recovers. But there is an experience, treating and productive – it is “Fazendas of Hope”, whence up to 75 percent of adolescents come back to the world not only having given up drugs, but often having found Faith.

First film of a cycle, “From a Corner to the World” tells a story of creation of the rehabilitation spiritual centers through the destiny of their heroes: father Hans, Nelson Giovanelli and the first recuperates. The spiritual way of different people has connected them in one point, at “Fazenda of Hope”, which has become the essence of their life and service. The style of the film is through an image, a metaphor, hidden presence of a prayer the producers to trace almost twenty years’ history of Fazendas.

This film exists in two language versions: Portuguese and Russian, and an English translation is done.

The central film of the project is called “Fazendas in the world”, 52 minutes. Today there are already more than 40 Fazendas all over the world, and their amount grows … They already exist on all continents (except for Australia), but drug consumption increases everywhere too. The development of a network of rehabilitation centers, Catholic – and wider – Christian – is one of the most effective antidotes of powerfully financed and rigidly organized drug-dealing industry. Fazendas are real islands of hope for that new generation will not roll down in a precipice of nihilism and earthliness.

The film is to be shown first those countries where Fazendas and similar to them spiritual centers are founded, or will be in the nearest future. Rescue comes only through Faith in your soul, and that things, which happen in Brazil, happen – or can happen – in your country too. The project is very important – it shows that there are no geographical, national or confessional borders in rescuing human souls.

People of different race, age and social status, witness how they have found life in Faith.

Today, in the period of disintegration, of political, ethnic, and the most terrible – religious conflicts,

Fazenda is a model of human UNITY IN LOVE.