Novice moviemakers go forward in faith, prayer

By Dave Nicholson, Plant City Courier

PLANT CITY --With a small budget and a script he wrote himself, Mills Cooper has big plans for the Christian movie he's helping make.

So does his partner, Derek Youngblood, who, like Mills, has no film experience.

Cooper and Youngblood envision "Generation Curse" as taking its place alongside such contemporary religious movies as "Fireproof" and "Courageous."

All the actors and actresses are friends and family members who are serving without pay. They have little to no acting experience but share a love for the Lord.

"I've always read my Bible, and I have a passion for God and learning about God and it all kind of came together in this film," said Youngblood, 40, who works in the city's stormwater division.

The two met when Youngblood came into the restaurant where 34-year-old Cooper works as a cook. Cooper shared with his new friend, "Generation Curse," a book he wrote while he was homeless. The book is the story of how a family, plagued for generations by demons such as drug and alcohol abuse, breaks the cycle by turning to God.

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