WFG RATING: A+

A Pebbles Project Impact Film, sponsored by Hillebrand GORI a company of DHL. Written, produced, and directed by Liesl Ahlers. Cinematography by Llewellyn Duim. Edited by Liesl Ahlers, Kristen Morison, and Llewellyn Duim. Sound Recording Engineers, David Classen and Munashe Kasambira. First Assistant Director, Kristen Morison. First Assistant Camera, George Dyason. Music by Michael Wilson-Trollip.

Stars Jamel Elexander, Lee-Shay Jephta, and Sophia Warner.

For her second directorial effort, Liesl Ahlers gives us a heartwarming short documentary about a non-profit organization that helps children live their dreams.

In 2004, special needs teacher Sophia Warner had a dream. She wanted to help children who worked on farms achieve their dreams. Together with her sister, this would lead to the founding of the Pebbles Project. Aside from Sophia, who gives a brief history on how she formed the company and learning of her great intentions, we meet beneficiaries who are part of the project. We meet a former beneficiary, Ernestine, who after leaving the program struggled to find work until Pebbles called her to offer her an internship that would lead into a full-time position.

We meet Zintle, Sophia’s daughter as they have a beautiful moment painting a picture together with Zintle hoping to one day become an inspiration like her mother. We meet Perchwin, a young man who loves drawing as it is a coping mechanism and thanks to the help of a social worker recommended by Pebbles, Perchwin’s dream of being an artist are coming true. Finally, we meet Robin, who aspires to be a fashion designer like her mother, who worked on a farm and always made clothes. Pebbles helped her get a degree in fashion design, which led to her first fashion line. 

The Pebbles Project, based in South Africa, lives to make children’s dreams come true. It is always inspiring and heartwarming to see young ones live their dreams and to use the term “kill with kindness” is an understatement when it comes to the Pebbles Project. Instead of killing people with kindness, it only takes one act of kindness to start a ripple effect, the very heart of not just the documentary, but the organization as well. 

Working as a fundraiser for the organization for the past few years, Liesl Ahlers has crafted a beautiful short-form documentary that shows that with kindness, the world can be a better place. As seen through the eyes of not only the founder of the company, but through the eyes of a former beneficiary and recent ones, this is just proof that dreams can come through not only through hard work, but with the support of those who support you. It can be family as well as organizations such as The Pebbles Project.

Kindness not only continues to show what Liesl Ahlers is capable of doing behind the cameras, but like her previous film, Daylight, shows there is hope. There are dreams. And they can be achieved. 

For more information on The Pebbles Project, go to https://www.pebblesproject.org

Special Thanks must go out to Liesl Ahlers for giving me the chance to check out this film. 

UPDATE (1/23/2025): You can now see the film below, via the Pebbles Project YouTube channel