Easily one of the most astonishing and engaging cinematic works of the past decade, CHILDREN UNDERGROUND is a profoundly intimate and heart-wrenching drama — an Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Feature in 2001, and winner at nearly every major documentary film festival across the country.
In a style that is altogether shocking, brutal, and deeply humanistic, filmmaker Edet Belzberg transports us to the streets of Bucharest, Romania, where we are introduced to a “family” of five homeless children begging on the streets and living in subway tunnels, drug addicted, and painfully unaware of the cruel horrors of their soul-crushing existence.
As the children’s story unfolds, the windows to their individual lives open up, revealing a harrowing day-to-day struggle for survival–from ten-year-old Ana, unfailingly maternal towards her younger brother Marian despite daily beatings from shopkeepers and other street-children, to Mihai, and unusually intelligent and motivated twelve-year-old who slashes at his arms and dreams of a better life.
In CHILDREN UNDERGROUND, the images captured by Belzberg’s unflinching lens are so powerful and captivating that the camera quickly vanishes from the viewer’s mind. What is left behind is a devastating portrait of human anguish and suvffering more riveting and absorbing than anything ever before captured on screen.
The release of the DVD allowed extra insight into the children’s situations after the initial re-visiting shown in the film. Cristina, now 19, is addicted to heroin and is three months pregnant. She shows little hope in being able to give up the drug. Her baby is given to a non-profit adoptive organization and she continues living off of the streets using only the income from her girlfriend’s prostitution. Mihai, now a young man, has been taken in by a man in Belgium who spent six months looking for him in Bucharest . For some time, he enjoyed education in general schooling and French language before returning to Bucharest to live with a social worker. Marian, now 12, was taken to a children’s shelter after a police sweep of the Piata Victoriei and deemed able for rehabilitation, and continues to live there. Ana, now 14, has been living with her parents after the police threatened to prosecute them for Child Abandonment.
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This documentary brought tears to my eyes. It was definitely eye-opening and worth watching. It was really sad to see those kids under those conditions. I wish i could do something to help children like these, these kids are so special and need to be loved by people that genuinely love and care for them. Thanks for sharing!!!! Awesome film!!!
how does a documentry get broken and why are they not fixed ?
Manchester City and Manchester United to end the season with with the same number of points…Manchester City to win the 2011/2012 EPL title…ON GOAL DIFFERENCE…
violeta macarena rosu. She has the most amazing tragic beauty… join us in
http://www.facebook.com/groups/170625613045771/
no video?
no video?
He calls himself a priest as he denies help to addicted, alone, and deserted children? Tell that to the Americans he said! I wanted to reach in this computer screen and choke that man myself. Clearly there is a reason he is a priest and it has nothing to do with the catholic calling. This is horrible 🙁 Horrific 🙁 sad sad sad 🙁
When they said this was astonishing, they were not joking.
There you have it. Western European Civilization at its best. How can we allow this to happen. May these poor kids find at least some confort and love before their lives end.
Thanks to the ruthless capitalists and corrupt communists that made this possible. May the world see a day without people like you.
Let’s move on. Let’s educate ourselves. There ARE solutions to many of the worlds problems but unfortunately there is no courage amongst the most of us. Let’s just at least try something better, not perferct, but better. Visit The Venus Project or
i actually want to adopt the little boy that went into the school for street kids. he seemed such a sweetheart and lost child. i hope through education and programmes like these more people will pay attention
i actually want to adopt the little boy that went into the school for street kids. he seemed such a sweetheart and lost child. i hope through education and programmes like these more people will pay attention
very touching and sad at the same time…this is a really good doc and a must see simply for the experience…it really makes you think
may god watch over them and protect them
Imi aduc aminte de vremurile alea cenusii cu groaza, dar observ ca acum in 17/10/2010 ca devin din nou cenusii. Trist..