The documentary focuses on decades of commitment to lift children out of poverty through education across seven countries

INDIANAPOLIS (June 15, 2026) - Christel House International (https://christelhouse.org), the global nonprofit and school network that goes beyond education to transform lives, is launching a new 20-minute impact documentary, From Classrooms to Life, with premieres in Indianapolis, Ind., New York and London. The film is a window into the lives behind the work. Through the stories of students, teachers, and parents, it reveals what Christel House actually does: not charity, but a decades-long, multigenerational investment in human potential.

Since 1998, Indianapolis-based Christel House International has educated children living in extreme poverty across five countries: India, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa, United States, with four public charter schools in Indianapolis, and opening schools soon in Colombia and Nepal. Its graduates are three times more likely than their peers to secure formal employment, and 97 percent are either employed or pursuing higher education. Christel House’s long-term investment in human potential, is proving, school by school, that the cycle of extreme poverty can be broken in one generation.

From Classrooms to Life was built to carry that proof into the world. Story-led, character-driven, the film reaches the heart of every room it enters. Produced by Moirai Films (http://www.moiraifilms.com), it is a statement about how Christel House operates: with intention, with creativity, and with the conviction that a life changed is a life that goes on to change others.

“We commissioned this film after nearly 30 years of extremely hard work, and we’re proud to bring our story to audiences for the first time,” said David Harris, president and chief executive officer, Christel House International. “In 20 minutes, this film manages to capture who we are: an organization built to support historically overlooked children living in extreme poverty”.

Christel House International Founder Christel DeHaan redirected the focus, resources and determination that had defined her business career toward a new mission: building schools for children the world had forgotten. She founded Christel House on the belief that every child deserves “a seat at the table of life.” Today, Christel House provides sustained, wraparound support over many years. Without that, many students from these communities would fall through the cracks. With it, you see long-term transformation — not just for the students, but for families and their entire communities. That story, rarely told in full, is the human thread running through everything: the film, the tour, the mission. The documentary puts a face to that legacy.

From Classrooms to Life Producer Vanessa Lanci, Emmy-winning Director Paul Burger and Director of Photography Michael Gomes understood that the most powerful argument for what Christel House does is not an argument at all. It is a window. Built as a piece of cinema rather than a charity appeal, the film follows young people on the far side of a chance most of the world never gets, and distills decades of work designed to move an audience anywhere it screens.

The film anchors a global awareness campaign built to introduce Christel House to new audiences and turn them into supporters. This is a film designed to do what the best documentaries do: make a distant reality feel immediate, and it asks the audience to carry something out of the room with them. From London to Indianapolis to New York, and onward from there.

To watch the full documentary: From Classrooms to Life, visit https://christelhouse.org/watch-the-film.

To learn more about Christel House International, please visit https://christelhouse.org.

Media Assets: Documentary trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9yLpJMuhqk)

About Christel House International

Christel House International is a global nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty. Founded in 1998 by entrepreneur Christel DeHaan, Christel House supports students for 18+ years — combining rigorous academics with nutrition, healthcare, life skills, and college and career guidance. More than 25,000 young people have been supported across five countries, with over 8,500 students served each year. Christel House graduates are three times more likely than their peers to secure formal employment, and 96% of recent graduates are studying, working, or both. To learn more, visit christelhouse.org.

About Moirai Films

Moirai Films is a global production company that brings the reach of a major studio with the taste and attention of a boutique creative shop. Moirai partners with brands, agencies, and visionary filmmakers to produce premium, standout work across film, documentary, branded content, and original IP. Work built to be remembered, not skipped. Founded by Vanessa Lanci and Andrew Porteous, with over 20 years of experience producing for some of the world’s most ambitious clients, the company pioneers a brand-affiliation model that turns global organizations into creative partners, invested alongside Moirai from development through delivery. Moirai’s creative roster includes Emmy Award-winning director Paul Burger, whose 25-year career on the frontlines of documentary includes four seasons of National Geographic’s Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller; and Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Mike Gomes, who won his Emmy on the same series and made his Cannes debut with New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization.

At Moirai, relationships sit at the centre. The company treats every client as a creative collaborator, every brief as a starting point, and every story as a chance to make something that lasts. Independent, internationally connected, and uncompromising on craft. Moirai makes work that earns its place on the screen. www.moiraifilms.com

Indianapolis Media Contact

Raquel Bahamonde

raquel@bahamondecommunications.com

317-319-6875

Global Media Contact

Bianca Facey

bianca.faceypr@gmail.com

(203) 577-7588

Images

Tags

More Like This

Dr. Makaziwe Mandela to lead Malaika Class of '24 graduation ceremony

Life-Changing trip to India with UK Fostering for three children in their Care

France Announces €40 Million in New Funding to Education Cannot Wait at Global Citizen Festival

From Selling Goods to Telling Stories: How A Documentary Turns Trade into Cultural Dialogue

Urielle Envisions a Bright Future

Sustainability-focused charity documentary to premiere at Manchester Film Festival

UN launches new campaign to rebuild global belief in humanitarian aid

Empowered Through Learning: Santina's Story