The film shows the inspiring journey of real, illiterate adults in conquering the stigma, shame and embarrassment of not being able to read, and the transformative effect it has on their lives.

Most people learn to read at such a young age that they take it for granted and can’t imagine how difficult it would be to start from scratch as an adult. The film shows the major challenge facing an illiterate adult in learning to read, contrasted against the joy of seeing children reading for the first time.

It then shows the life-changing impact that improved literacy has on their lives, including a mother who is now able to prepare food for her daughter without worrying about her peanut allergy.

Casting for illiterate adults presents its own unique set of problems. We couldn’t just put out a general casting ads, because the people we were looking for wouldn’t be able to read them. In addition, adult illiteracy is a hidden issue, shrouded by shame and embarrassment. We conducted hundreds of interviews over 3 months, with many people who initially agreed to appear in our campaign dropping out at the last minute. In the end, we found 14 brave heroes who weren’t just learning to read and write – they were actively changing their lives.