Documentary shows heart of cleft-palate efforts

Documentary Dzachuka's Smile features Dorje's experience of getting help from Smile Train for his son to get a free operation. Photos provided to China Daily

With the help of hospital partners of Smile Train, CCTV Documentary Channel (CCTV-9) has made a film, Dzachuka's Smile, to promote the free treatment project for those suffering from cleft lip and palate.

The documentary tells the story of how Tibetan people living in Dzachuka got to know about the Smile Train program, and finally made their way to a hospital in Chengdu to get their children with cleft lip and palate cured, with the help of two Tibetan sisters.

"I have heard lots of stories about people with cleft lip and palate, but it is Smile Train that enables me to know more about the condition and its effect on patients and their families," says Wang Chongxiao, director of the documentary, on the premiere held in September.

"Cleft lip and palate surgery is not difficult or costly, but still, some people cannot afford it, and worse is that they don't know there are charity programs that can help them, such as Smile Train.

"We are glad that we made the film, and we want to tell the public the message that the disease is curable, and there are free surgeries."

It took more than two years for the production team to prepare for and to film the documentary in Dzachuka, going through lots of unexpected and sometimes even life-threatening situations, such as floods, mudslides and a Tibetan mastiff attack.