Hope Road

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A refugee from the Sudanese civil war, Zacharia (one of the 'Lost Boys' of Sudan), lives in Sydney with his wife and daughter. He desperately wants to do something for his former village, now in the newly created nation of South Sudan. His dream is to build a much-needed school, and he enlists the backing of numerous Australians who help him to raise funds.

A year after Independence for the new nation of South Sudan, Zacharia returns to his village. Hundreds are out on the road waiting. A bull is slaughtered, women ululate and dance. Zac's overwhelmed. Promises are given and expectations raised. Soon work starts on clearing the site and making the bricks for the school. Yet almost immediately it all starts unravelling: the men want more money, the well is dry and needs fixing and there are arguments as the women push for the school that means so much to them.

Back in Australia, Zach finds that any possibility of help from the Australian government is lost when aid to Africa is savagely cut. Zac's support committee comes up with an ambitious plan: a forty-day charity walk from Tweed Heads in northern NSW to Sydney. Zac was one of the 'Lost Boys' who walked out of Sudan, but can he do a walk like this again? All of 1200 kilometres.

Meanwhile, back in South Sudan, civil war starts again, and quickly escalates, while clan warfare breaks out in the village. The plans for the school and the 6000 bricks they have made are imperilled. Even more unexpected is a tragic twist in Zacharia's personal life.