Based on the novel North to Freedom by Anne Holm, this intimate film tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who escapes from a Bulgarian Stalinist camp and sets out on a journey to find his mother. His soul having been worn down from years in the brutal, lifeless camp, David has learned to distrust everyone and has literally lost the ability to smile. Though he frequently finds himself starving in the course of his odyssey, he steadfastly resists the temptation to steal any food, in large part because of the harsh lesson he learned about the consequences of stealing in camp. Along his journey, he meets a sympathetic sailor, a concerned shopkeeper, a sweet, young girl, and several other characters who slowly help him regain his trust in people, give him strength in his desperate hope that he will find his mother, and teach him how to smile again. Jim Caviezel delivers a strong supporting performance as a fellow inmate who watches over David in their imprisonment, and Joan Plowright lends a steady, assuring presence to the kindly old woman who gives David the unconditional love, support, and homespun wisdom he needs. I Am David won the Heartland Film Festival’s Crystal Heart Award in 2003.