Reeze Telling –A Fighting Chance, a DVD that documents a promising PE professional cricketer’s harrowing fall into the hell of drug addiction and his journey of recovery, is being launched at The Storehouse Church in Vitry Avenue, Lorraine, PE at 7pm on Friday May 31.
“Let me start by giving God all the glory and honour, because without Him this would not be possible. Through Him I am still alive today, and through Him I have had the chance to create this DVD with help of people He has brought into my path,” said Telling in an interview this week.
Telling, who is currently a national cricket selector for Canada, where he lives in with his wife La and their two children, says the DVD, which took about four years to complete, is a story of hope that shows that recovery is possible and that through God, those who fall the hardest can bounce back the highest.
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He said his dream is to get the 45-minute DVD into houses where people are struggling with drug addiction. All proceeds from sales of the DVD, other than covering some costs, will go towards helping someone find recovery he said.
The DVD costs R150 and can be ordered directly from Telling by texting or WhatApping him on +27 61 417 449.
Reeze said he embarked on the film project in 2014 after he shared his testimony at a school and posted it on his Facebook page, where somebody from overseas commented that he should make a movie because he believed his story would change lives.
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He approached PE filmmaker Rafieka Davis, whose work he admired and she agreed to take on the movie-making project.
“She has done an amazing, professional job. When I first saw the movie it made me cry. Rafieka said she also cried when she watched it the first time and her mother in law was crying as well,” he said.
The film provides a holistic view of the journey of addiction and recovery, and includes various roleplayers in his story, including family members, a former politician who helped to launch him into helping others after his recovery, and a social worker who handled his cases.
“I remember once I was in the courthouse jail and hanging onto rails and saw him [the social worker] walk past and said: ‘Steven, Steven, please my friend, help me get out.’ And he said: “There’s no hope for you. You are going to be put away and you don’t want to change.’
“Those were the initial words that started my journey to recovery. In the DVD he explains why he spoke those words,” said Telling.
The film’s apt soundtrack features songs written and performed by his PE friend Loufi (www.loufimusiek.com ), who also has an addiction and recovery testimony and now follows Jesus. The song High on Whatever was produced by Shane Omac and the other tracks were produced by Levin Adams.
Everybody is welcome to the Friday launch at The Storehouse. The event is free but donations will be welcomed.
Telling A Fighting Chance from Rafieka Davis on Vimeo.
