The Lord's Boot Camp
CBS News collaborates with Loki Films, producers of the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Jesus Camp," for "The Lord's Boot Camp," a special edition of 48 Hours this Saturday, April 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The one-hour special takes an unprecedented look at three teenagers training to become Christian missionaries while also dealing with the pressures that teens face daily and who tell their own stories in their own words.
"This unique collaboration between these two gifted filmmakers and the team at 48 Hours is a departure from what viewers may be used to," says the broadcast's executive producer, Susan Zirinsky. "This is a slice of their lives told from their singular point of view."
In the summer of 2007, Tabitha Taylor of Bellwood, Pa., Nicole Scrivener of Tallahassee, Fla., and Valerie Smith of Las Vegas, Nev. were among the 700 kids who gave up the luxuries of iPods and cell phones to attend The Lord's Boot Camp. At the two-week, no-frills training camp in central Florida, the girls face physical and mental challenges as they prepare to embark on evangelical missions in the U.S. and Africa and spread the word of God.
This project marks the first time a camera crew has been allowed to document the teens' experiences at camp, their missions and their returns home.
"Each girl profiled represents a different reaction that religious belief can provoke in a young person: bold confidence, angry rebellion and feelings of doubt," says Loki Films co-founder Heidi Ewing.
"All three characters struggled with the physical and mental demands of the camp as well as the looming question of what role their belief in God will play in their lives as they enter adulthood," adds Rachel Grady, co-founder of Loki Films.
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady of Loki Films and Susan Zirinsky of CBS News are the executive producers of "The Lord's Boot Camp." Al Briganti is the executive editor. Steven Reiner is the producer, along with Gregory McLaughlin, the producer-editor.
About CBS News 48 Hours
Born out of the two-hour documentary, "48 Hours on Crack Street," 48 Hours has pioneered the documentary-style form of "experiential journalism," taking viewers behind the headlines and giving them an insider's view of news events, social issues, shocking crimes and real-life dramas. Since its 1988 debut, 48 Hours has defined the weekly cinema verité style that is the standard for many television newsmagazines today. The broadcast has been recognized with numerous awards including 17 Emmys and three Peabody Awards. Susan Zirinsky is the executive producer and Al Briganti is the executive editor.
About Loki Films
Founded in 2001 by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, Loki Films is a New York-based documentary film production company dedicated to making films that evoke a deeper understanding of the human experience. Loki Films has produced a variety of film and television projects that have been seen in theaters around the world and on prestigious networks like UK¹s Channel Four, France's Canal Plus, The Discovery Channel, Italy¹s RAI networks and Al Jazeera. Ewing and Grady were recently nominated for the Academy Award and an Emmy for excellence in documentary filmmaking and their work has garnered critical acclaim in Time Magazine, the New York Times and Variety among many others.