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Derailed Derailed is the story of the Northern Rivers’ community fight for the return of basic rail services. Despite being one of the premier tourist destinations in Australia, the government decision to focus upon road spending and ignore the plight of large sections of the community who utilised rail and cannot access a car (elderly, disabled, youth), has fuelled a grassroots campaign to bring trains back. Led by passionate rail activists TOOT (Trains On Our Tracks), the current President Karin Kolbe introduces viewers to the surrounding circumstances of the demise of local rail - and the options for a future lighter rail network as part of an integrated transport plan. At the monthly Byron Bay market, locals are keen to voice their support for rail services. The diverse community comes together on the issue of rail. Overnight, a Rose To Touch the Soul Carlos Silveira, an artist educator and social activist, wants to bring a sense of joy to impoverished children in Cambodia who are affected by HIV/AIDS. He has recruited 27 American university students to join him as part of a pilot program in using drawing and painting to help these children express their wishes and desires for their futures. As Carlos and the students grapple with the realities of a culture much different from their own, a language they don't understand, art projects that don't go as planned and a three-week deadline, they form a bond with the children. Through these young Cambodian mentors, the Americans empower their own social activism and learn the true meaning of kindness, selflessness and community. Told from Carlos’ and six of his students’ perspectives through a mix of spoken diary entries, interviews and interaction with the children as they create art projects together, this documentary shows that even the smallest attempt at making a difference can have life-changing consequences for the people involved. The film also highlights the growing problem of children in Cambodia who have become orphans due to their parents dying from AIDS as the spread of the disease among adults subsides. Yet, the audience is left with a sense of hope that with adequate funding, proper food and medical care, as exemplified through the featured NGOs, Little Sprouts and Little Folks, children in such dire circumstances can still thrive until hopefully there is a cure one day for this unforgiving disease.
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