SMILE PINKI: Academy Award Winning Documentary Trailer

SMILE PINKI, the captivating story of a desperately poor little girl in rural India whose life is magically transformed when she receives free surgery to correct her cleft lip has received a coveted Oscar nomination on January 22, 2009 in the category of best documentary short subject. Pinki, is a 5 year old girl who is living with a severe cleft in one of the poorest areas of India. Not allowed to attend school and ostracized because of her deformity, Pinki lives a life of quiet desperation as she waits and wonders if she will ever receive the cleft surgery her parents could never afford and that she so desperately needs. By chance, Pinkis parents meet a social worker one day who is traveling village to village, gathering patients for a hospital that provides free cleft surgery to thousands of poor children each year through the Smile Train program.

SMILE PINKI sheds light on the global problem of cleft lip and cleft palate. According to Smile Train, more than 4.7 million children in developing countries suffer with unrepaired clefts. Each child could be saved, just like Pinki, with a simple surgery that takes as little as 45 minutes and costs as little as $250.

Over the past 10 years, Smile Train has provided free cleft surgery for hundreds of thousands of children who would otherwise never have received it. The organization is the worlds leading cleft charity with thousands of partners and programs in 76 of the worlds poorest countries.

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  Nonprofits & Activism

[heroeshit]

why does India haf the highest rate of people with clefts?

[TheSmileTrainCharity]

A cleft is a birth defect and often the #1 birth defect in most developing countries - nutrition is one of the leading factors and lack of folic acid. Babies are born with clefts everywhere in the world including the U.S. But you seldom see clefts in the U.S. and Europe because they are repaired automatically soon after birth. Clefts are usually NOT repaired in developing countries because most of the families are too poor to afford surgery and the government will not provide free surgery.

[TheSmileTrainCharity]

Right now the whole documentary can be found on HBO on Demand. After the summer we will be able to distribute it.

[judyki]

Smile Train is doing a wonderful work in the world thanks to the donations to The Smile Train from people like you & me. From 1$ to the total cost of the surgery anything can help. I'm glad that Pinki (the documentary ) won an Oscar. And Tomorow will be in HBO !

Blessings to you all.

[Kamal Joshi]

Very nice documentary, u r doing such a nice work.

[noor37130]

and we.normal people complain of our looks and I am also one those guillty people

[SHIRISH lalge]

hi its not ur fault...i wish i could see u...its rly nt ugly .

i fill ashamed . bfr watcihng this i m very narrow minde .

i hope people soon change there mind.

keep smiling

[RYUMUGABE REMY]

महान फिल्म ....भगवान .... फिल्म निर्माता और पहल के लिए अस्पताल को आशीर्वाद.

[amol lamoque]

Means Kategorie ?!!

[Lennard Stock]

It's a wonderful story!! I've just made a film about a cleft camp in India and through the patients I discovered how important these surgeries are!

Bless you and keep up the good work!

[Grace P]

this is honestly so beautiful.

[Timothy Moke]

I happen to be a professional trumpeter and I know how important lips are for performing.

We, as trumpeters, take such good care of our lips - this is so important. These children just wish to "have" lips that function regularly.

Won't you please join me in contributing to this wonderful organization?

In nomine Jesu, Blesssing, Timothy Moke

[FloufleVii]

Well, India might be # 1 in all diseases, and corruptness, but I feel that the culture of India is one of the most kind, pure and people-loving out there! I have met many Indians who all share a passion for life, unconditionally giving, and honestly caring and friendly for another.

[bossyboots55]

that guy is so paitient.  bless him!