#683: new film on restavek (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:Kramerkar@aol.com

Dear Leonie,
I read your notice on the Corbett list, asking for information on the 
restavek.  I wanted to let you know (and hope that you would pass this 
information on to whomever else you might feel is interested) that for the 
past 2 years, I have been making a documentary about the restavek.  We 
received a small grant in 1997 and to date have filmed approximately 15 hours 
of footage.  We filmed several restaveks as they went about their day doing 
chores, interviewed them (they were basically pretty shy) and their 
caretakers, and went into rural areas to film some of the context of where 
these children come from.  We also filmed several interviews with progressive 
educators, psychologists, and social rights activists who have been working 
with or studying the situation of the restaveks.  They have given some very 
good on-camera interviews which help to put the plight in perspective.  I 
agree with you that poverty, of course, is at the root of the problem, but 
that this must not appear as a justification.  As one Catholic priest stated, 
" the first step is to raise the consciousness of the people by bringing 
attention to this"
I hope to make one more trip to Haiti to film a little bit more, and then we 
can begin the editing.  Unfortunately, we still have to raise more funds for 
the editing process, so if you have any ideas in that regard we'd love to 
know about it (we're non-profit)  In any case, as soon as the film is 
completed, we hope to have a first-rate document about this situation that 
many people will be able to see.
Thanks,   Karen Kramer