Click image for larger version.

MOTHER INDIA: Real Life Version of “Slumdog Millionaire” Narrated by Rebecca St. James
Two Advance Screenings of Mother India to be held in Orange County, California

While millions of Americans have watched a fictionalized version of ‘slumdogs’ living in poverty, few know the true reality of living as an abandoned and orphaned child on the streets of India.

Narrated by Grammy Award winner Rebecca St. James, Mother India: Life Through the Eyes of the Orphan is a compelling documentary following the adventure of 25 courageous orphans living as a family along the railway as they make pivotal decisions that will directly impact their future. Filmed in January 2012 in southern India with a small production team, the documentary is the work of first-time filmmakers David Trotter and Shawn Scheinoha, both based in Orange County, California.

“India is growing in both population and industry, but few people know that there are over 31 million orphans in the nation,” commented David Trotter, executive producer of Mother India. “Each of these young lives is much more than a statistic. Every one of them has a name, a face, and a story.”

Although both Trotter and Scheinoha have travelled to India on multiple occasions for humanitarian purposes, this was their first documentary project on the subject.

“The bottom line is that statistics go in one ear and out the other,” said Scheinoha. “People need to hear stories and see the reality of what it looks like for millions of Indian children who are orphaned. We’re not out to just tell a tragic story. We’re focused on raising awareness and changing lives.”

According to UNICEF, there are over 31 million orphans living in India, and the issue is more fragmented than simply helping a child who has lost both parents. According to producers, the stories of the children profiled in Mother India reveal the complexity of the issue and the multi-faceted approach needed to give each child the opportunity to grow up and reach their full potential.

“We were blown away by how courageous these children are and to what extent they’ll go to in order to help one another survive,” said Trotter. “When you look into the eyes of two siblings – three and seven years old – who boarded a train to escape the abuse of their alcoholic parents, you start to realize that India needs our help to deal with this global issue.”

While the production team was shooting the documentary, a spontaneous effort was made to help the two youngest children transition into an orphanage and school operated by Harvest India, an indigenous, humanitarian organization funded by multiple faith-based groups in southern California. Although this was not within the scope of the original documentary, these two young lives soon became a central storyline within the film.

As the documentary is being finalized for a Fall 2012 premiere, two advance screenings will be hosted in Orange County, California. Suresh Kumar, president of Harvest India, will participate in a Q&A session with both filmmakers at each advance screening.

• Wednesday, June 6th – 7pm – hosted at RockHarbor Church (345 Fischer Avenue, Costa Mesa)
• Friday, June 8th – 7pm – hosted at Newport Mesa Church (2599 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa)

For more information and free tickets to the advance screenings of Mother India: Life Through the Eyes of the Orphan, visit www.motherindiafilm.com.

About Mother India
Premiering in the summer of 2012, Mother India: Life Through the Eyes of the Orphan is a compelling documentary capturing the life and stories of 25 abandoned and orphaned children living along the railway in southern India. Executive Producers David Trotter and Shawn Scheinoha showed up hoping to find kids who would be willing to trust them enough to show them life through their eyes. What they didn’t expect was to be warmly welcomed into a ‘family’. For more information, visit www.motherindiafilm.com.

Executive Producer:
David Trotter
949.335.2925
david@motherindiafilm.com

We filled out an extensive application, and we emailed it in – thinking that nothing would come of it.

Within a couple of days, we received an email back indicating that the production company was interested in possibly telling our story on “Unfaithful: Stories of Betrayal.” Over the next few months, we literally spent over 15 hours (each) telling our story to multiple casting directors and producers (before the actual filming). They indicated that there was a possibility that our story would be told during season one, but nothing every came of it. Time passed, and we wrote it off. Then, in July of 2011, they got back in contact with us, and we scheduled a three-day shoot with a team scheduled to fly out from New York. One day was spent at our home, and two days were filled with studio interviews.

It was brutal to re-hash the pain of my bad decisions for 8 hours straight as a producer asked me question after question. It was brutal to know what Laura was reliving through the entire process.

Before committing to the project and throughout the entire filming process, we continually asked (and reminded) ourselves why we were willing to share our story publicly. We processed the inevitable negative reactions from people (who we have known and others who we’ll never meet), but we were willing to share our story for those that could possibly be helped.

1. We want to challenge other couples to get help before an affair.
   If you’re living as mere roommates, you’re not enjoying the intimate partnership that’s possible. Don’t think your spouse can’t/won’t do it. We’re all capable of looking for attention, affection, and connection somewhere else. Get help. Do something to get re-connected. Invest in your marriage.
   .
2. We want to inspire others who are fighting for their marriages.
   It’s possible to have a better marriage than you’ve ever had before, but it takes intense commitment and unbelievable grace. Only by God’s grace were we able to take individual steps toward personal health and slowly toward reconciliation. It’s worth fighting for. It really is.
   .
3. We want to motivate other couples to get outside help (through their faith and therapy).
   Trying to overcome all the challenges that get you into an affair combined with the pain of infidelity is virtually impossible to overcome alone. We leaned hard into our faith and sought outside help through individual and marriage therapy. If you want a shot at reconciliation, you’ll need help.
   .
4. I want my story to be a warning to other guys who are disconnected from their families.
   With a total commitment to my vocation, I was working 70-80 hours a week for years. I was disconnected from my family, and I didn’t even know how to connect. For many guys, slowing down to intimately connect with our spouse and children is a completely different mindset and skill set than anything we’ve been taught. It takes effort, patience, and a willingness to humble ourselves to learn from others.
   .
5. I want my story to cause followers of Jesus to think about how we treat those who stumble, fall, and screw up in huge ways.
   My decision to leave my family, pursue another woman, and resign from my role as pastor was absolutely wrong, stupid, and harmful to countless people. Based on how I was treated by (some) Christians at different points of the journey, my level of grace, compassion, and patience with others who have blown it in huge ways has increased substantially. I am a second chancer.

.
If you’re interested in a few of our thoughts during the filming, you can check here, here, here, and here. If you’re trying to recover from an affair (no matter what your role in the relationship is), we recommend Torn Asunder: Recovering from an Extramarital Affair and the accompanying workbook.

Here’s a preview for the show…

We started with a b-roll shot of Laura and I roasting smores…like we always do.

1. Welcomed home by police on my first night in the house.
   To get the house ready for Laura and the kids, I began working on (and living in) the house alongside a painter a week or so before we moved our furniture. After a long first day or work, I left for a few minutes to grab some dinner. As the sun set, I rounded the corner back onto Lemming Street, and five police cars were right in front of my house with their lights on. That was our first clue that things were going to be a little crazy.
   .
2. Grieved the loss of my neighbor after he was gunned down around the corner.
   Gang members shot and killed my 20 something neighbor as he road his bike home from the market. I held his father as he weeped in my arms in grief. Attending his viewing as the only white guy and his Spanish-language memorial service was quite an experience. (Three murders within a two block area over the last eight years.)
   .
3. Watched a Russian neighbor do cartwheels in his bikini underwear in the middle of the street at 6am.
   This so-called music producer was high as a kite and would soon land in jail.
   .
4. Witnessed the same Russian neighbor steal an ambulance and run from police on television.
   After getting out of jail, I guess he wasn’t quite done with his craziness, so he jumped into an ambulance for a joyride. It’s never a good thing to see a neighbor in the middle of a high-speed chase. By the way, that was the last time I ever saw him.
   .
5. Asked a visitor at my Russian neighbor’s house if he was in a gang.
   I just cut to the chase and asked him if he was “bangin’” with anyone. Let’s just say he fit the prototype. Instead, he was a rapper with a couple of albums by a legit record company. I can’t remember his name at the moment…I didn’t pick up one of his CDs.
   .
6. Cleaned out a HUGE dumpster full of trash from a neighbor’s driveway and garage.
   A couple of summers ago, we rallied some friends to help a neighbor clean out her yard. We rented one of those ginormous trash units and filled it front to back. Before we even got started hauling stuff off, I helped her arrange to sell an SUV and a non-running van in her driveway. So thankful for the friends who invested financially and physically – what a great experience!
   .
7. Got an earful from my wife after she watched two pit bulls maul a cocker spaniel across the street.
   When we first moved onto the street, there were quite a few dogs that ran loose all the time…Pit Bulls, Cocker Spaniels, and Chihuahuas. It was crazy, and we rarely let our kids out in the front yard prior to putting up a fence. Laura shooed the kids away from the window and watched as a neighbor kicked the dogs away from the bleeding victim. Needless to say…Laura was a little shaken up.
   .
8. Regularly turned down offers by salesmen who offer cheese, meat, corn, fruits & vegetables, cotton candy, and even pillows.
   You would not believe the crazy stuff that people sell door-to-door in our neighborhood…including a cooler full of cheese where they’ll slice off as much as you want. How about pillows? Seriously! Who is gonna buy a bed pillow from a guy who comes to their door? (This doesn’t even include the 3-4 ice cream trucks that blare their music down the street every day.)
   .
9. Staring at 12-foot-high sugar cane that grows in the yard across the street.
   It grows on both sides of their driveway, and it has to be twice my height. Every week or so, I’ll see him cut a bunch down, chop it up in 3 foot lengths, and give it away to friends. They gnaw on it and squeeze it into juice (I believe). Did I also mention that they have a loud parrot, bunnies, and a full-size turkey at one point!
   .
10. Laughed so hard I cried after hearing that my wife helped a naked neighbor out of the bathtub.
    Our neighbor has back issues and asked for Laura’s number if he ever fell. One day…he called. She responded and heard the shower running. She turned it off, wrapped a towel around him, and helped him into bed. Oh…yes…she…did. My first question, “Did you peek?”

We have had the most crazy experience in this house over the past eight years. Frankly, the street is way more mellow now than ever before. No hoodlums…only roaming Chihuahuas and food salesmen. Let’s just hope that the buyers of our home don’t find my blog.