This is a documentary of a man who had an episode of insight and moved wherever that vision took him. While watching the documentary it's difficult to believe one man and his immediate family achieved so very much.
I feel sure that a great deal of the journey was left out of the story-- such as sourcing and donations for survival needs that must have helped fund his work. The super-engineered greenhouses weren't built from sketched designs and animal skins. The tractors and trucks and equipment and seed and millions of seedling trees didn't just appear out of nowhere. One can't help but feel that this documentary falls far short of telling the whole story.
Regardless of how it was achieved, this is a man who gave everything he had to accomplish something most of us would think is impossible: turning a desert into a self-sustaining farm and hopeless street children into PHDs and Doctors and business people and responsible husbands and wives. I am not easily taken in by such documentaries, often seeing the sham behind the hype. But in this case, everything I've managed to read about Mulli (Mully) seems correct. This is a man who remembered his humble beginnings and turned his love of people to action. I simply cannot imagine.
The documentary while somewhat scanty on details, focuses on the overall trials and final results of Mully-and-family's efforts. I would have liked to have seen it extended a half an hour and include a few more how-it-happened details. It covered his religious affiliation and dedication, but didn't dwell on such. It showed his achievements, but didn't tell much about he achieved them. The overall effect-- and apparent purpose of the film-- was to show what one person can do to change the world. But at the same time, one has difficulty believing all of this came about through the efforts of one family. Much is obviously omitted.
At first it was Mully himself with the sole vision. But as it states in the documentary, his wife supported him every step of the way. His own family went through some tough times (primarily due to Mully himself), but eventually as they grew his children joined him and were of great help in achieving his vision-- and themselves benefited from the personal growth gained from their experience.
I did have problems with his obvious obsessions. On the one hand one can understand his deep compassion for homeless children. On the other hand I could only grimace at his lack of compassion for his own wife and children, putting their welfare at risk and even sending his children to boarding school to make room for others rather than showing more wise moderation and supporting his own children's emotional needs. These were questionable decisions. Where does one draw the line between empathy and obsessive madness? That's a question that lingers in my mind long after viewing this documentary.
Regardless, this film is inspiring, and proves that even a small group of people can accomplish amazing things. While rescuing thousands of children over several years hardly puts a dent in the devastating circumstances of millions of street children-- at least Mully and his family have done their best. They've set the example and proved what can be done. If all humankind focused less on themselves and more on helping others, perhaps similar results could have been achieved on a global basis rather than the ecological and social disasters we are currently experiencing.
I give it no more than 7 stars because as a documentary-- it obviously leaves a great deal out of the story.
