There are many who preach the sermon of helping others and saving lives, and then there are those who roll up their sleeves and do the hard work that’s required in reaching souls that might forever be lost. Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko is one of them, but his approach is hardly one of tenderness, and as you’ll see in the upcoming documentary “Almost Holy,” his work deals harshly in difficult truths.
Directed by Steve Hoover, and executive produced by Terrence Malick, the film chronicles Mokhnenko at work in his Pilgrim Republic rehabilitation center, where he fights to save children who are addicted to injecting a cocktail of cold medicine and alcohol. However, his methods — as you’ll in this exclusive, intense clip — are unconventional, which has earned him both praise and criticism. Here’s the synopsis:
Gennadiy Mokhnenko has made a name for himself by forcibly abducting homeless drug-addicted kids from the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine. As his country leans towards a European Union inclusion, hopes of continued post-Soviet revitalization seem possible. In the meantime, Gennadiy’s center has evolved into a more nebulous institution.
“Almost Holy” opens today in limited release. Watch the clip above.