Documentary receives critical acclaim in five cities during three-week theatrical release

Every Last Child has received critical acclaim in the United States during a three-week theatrical release that took in five cities.

The documentary was shown in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego and Washington DC thanks to a partnership with distributor Zeitgeist Films.

Co-President at Zeitgeist Films Emily Russo said: “When we saw the film and got to watch it we realised this is a very strong documentary, really well made, this is a tough, tough subject but so well done that it really deserved a shot at having a theatrical release so it could get the cinema attention to films that play in theatres.”

The screenings started in New York on June 3 at the IFC Center where, along with the VIP opening night, a Q&A session was held with film maker Tom Roberts and other experts from the health and film industry.

The film captured the New York audience, and was featured heavily in The New York Times. The publication gave an excellent review of the film which was followed by a feature entitled ‘The Final Salvos Against Polio’ which praised the film for conveying the battle to end polio ‘In ways that print reportage never can’.

From New York the film moved on to Los Angeles and Chicago.

Following the LA premiere of Every Last Child at the Music Hall, The Los Angeles World Affairs Council conducted an expert panel discussion of the film and the current Polio crisis in Pakistan. HE Counsel General Abdulla Alsaboosi delivered opening remakes before the panel discussion. Participants include Danielle Perissi, Head of Documentary at Image Nation and Executive Producer of Every Last Child; Peter L. Salk, MD, President of the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation; and Gitanjli Arora, MD, Co-Director of the Global Health Education Programs at the UCLA Center for World Health. The discussion was moderated by Sandra de Castro Buffington, Founding Director of the Global Media Center for Social Impact.

Once again the critics were highly supportive with The Los Angeles Times describing the film as ‘a powerful look at the fight against Polio in Pakistan.’

The final cities to feature on the tour were San Diego and Washington DC. The Washington Post describing the film as one of ‘three films you must see to truly understand Pakistan and its problems.’

Every Last Child is set to launch on iTunes in August and work will be done with educational institutions to host screenings for students and healthcare practitioners.