News and Updates

New Film to Feature Free A Child
by Kathleen Man

In February 2004, I began production on a feature-film project in Nepal under the auspices of Free A Child (FAC) and its non-government partner organization, General Welfare Pratisthan (GWP) based in Hetauda, Nepal. I went to Nepal with the intention of shooting a documentary focusing on the exploitation of women and children and their forced entry into prostitution.

Very soon after my arrival, however, the structure of my project changed from that of an informative documentary on child trafficking to a more personal treatment of the issue. This was inspired by a street drama which I witnessed and filmed on my second day in Hetauda. The girls who participate in the Putali project, Free A Child's empowerment program in the heavily-trafficked Terai region, regularly perform their street drama entitled "Bichari Sita (Poor Sita)" to the public. Their play tells the sad story of Sita, a young village girl who is tricked into sexual slavery and kicked out onto the streets when she contracts HIV/AIDS. I was so impressed by the play and the convictions of the performers, that I decided to scrap my original idea and develop a narrative that incorporated their play.

Through an innovative, independent and "no-to-low" budget philosophy, "Sita" represents what people can achieve with the support of their community and the determination to be uncompromising in their artistic vision. The narrative structure of "Sita" is unconventional, combining fictional and documentary elements in a way that represents human trafficking for the sex trade from both within and outside the Nepalese culture.

The inclusion of the Nepalese girls' performance of their own play gives us a unique look at how adolescent Nepalese girls perceive their position in this issue and how they propose to challenge it, by teaching their neighbors about trafficking, HIV/AIDS and the importance of being compassionate towards victims of the sex trade. The more conventional narrative element (the film within the film) brings us out of the street drama and into Sita's personal world, detailing her intimate relationships with friends and family. What emerges is a portrait of the life of a young Nepalese girl, fraught with challenges and conflicts, where poverty and social constraints render a girl vulnerable to the trafficker's promise of a "better" life.

After a year-and-a-half, "Sita" is in the final stages of post-production and will be screened in Boulder, CO after its completion. Sign up for our newsletter or check the Free A Child web site after September 1st for updates on public screenings.