Destitute kids of Kolkata produce film for International Festival

Children living on the margins of society have produced a film depicting their plight for the international film festival to be held next month.

By Soma Mitra

Kolkata, Aug. 21 : Children living on the margins of society have produced a film depicting their plight for the international film festival to be held next month.

The film titled "We See" is an attempt by two rescued child labourers of Centre for Child Development, a destitute home of Kolkata, to draw attention of the society to 'child rights'.

The short film has been selected for screening in the 'Auburn International Film and Video Festival,' scheduled to be held in Australia in September.

Swapan Mukherjee, director of Centre for Communications and Development, said that the film has been made by two children. Tapa Bhowmik is the director of the film and Rinku Babu Mondal, the cameraperson. They are students of standard VII and IX respectively.

Mukherjee said: "Australia is organising Auburn International Children Film Festival. This film has been selected for screening along with 60 other films. The category in which 'We See' will be screened has 10 more films. The best film will get an award."

The story of the film revolves round some Kings explaining the policies they have been pursuing for children. The explanations and questions raised leaves all ashamed and they thus promise that children in their country will have food, education and no child labour will be allowed.

Tapa Bhowmik (13), Rinku Babu Mondal (14), worked as child labourers in fields. They were rescued by the Centre for Child Development (CCD), an NGO which runs a home for such boys at Madhyamgram in the city. Rinku Babu Mondal, cameraperson of the film, said: "Nearly all my friends know how to handle a camera. For this film, I have handled camera. Now, the film will be screened abroad."

At present, at least 40 children stay in the home, run by the Centre for Child Development, an NGO. The children at the Centre are trained in handling a camera, direction and other aspects of filmmaking.

The authorities at the Centre keep on organising filmmaking workshops. The first such workshop was held here in 2003 by a Palestinian filmmaker who had come to participate in the Kolkata Film festival.

Thereafter, many similar workshops were organised in the home that have helped the boys in learning intricacies of audio-visual media.

Two boys from the home --Sahiful and Ashiful --have won awards for their film 'Ami,' at the Kids for Kids International Film Festival in Athens.

In 2005, two more boys made a short film 'Amra,' which got best critique award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.

The Auburn International Film and Video Festival would be held in Sydney from September 17 to 21, this year.

ANI