UNAFF 2005 : Films : Too Brief a Child

TOO BRIEF A CHILD: VOICES OF MARRIED ADOLESCENTS
Robin Coblyn, Nancy Camp / Andrea Kalin (India/Philippiness/USA) 13'43"

Description:
Anami‚s days are all the same. She rises before dawn to start the fire in the stove and boil tea for her husband before setting out on a long trek that consumes most of her day to the market place, to gather firewood, to fetch potable water from the nearest source. She‚s not alone though. With her are two small children, her children and the baby she carries in her womb. Anami just turned fifteen. Like Anami, 82 million girls around the globe will be married before they leave adolescence. This is their story of lost childhoods, lost dreams and little hope of breaking the cycle of poverty and hopelessness that engulfs them. Too Brief A Child explores the reasons why girls like Anami marry so young. What pressures and beliefs impel their families to support and often force this? What are the costs to the girls, their families and their communities when youthful dreams must be abandoned? And what happens when the cycle is broken and families and daughters choose another path? Girls trapped by early marriage represent far more than marginalized members of their own villages and countries. They are the flashpoint for critical problems that drain the resources of developed and developing nations alike. Illiteracy, poverty, high infant and mother mortality, HIV/AIDS and loss of personal freedoms are issues of global urgency that impact child brides more than any other group.

Biography:
Spark Media is an award-winning Washington, DC based production and outreach company specializing in issues of social change. Established in 1989 by Andrea Kalin, Spark creates innovative films and videos, along with outreach and distribution programs that increase awareness and communication among people. Its programs creatively combine traditional media and digital technologies, always with a commitment to educate and inspire.

Contact Information:
Spark Media
1823 Jefferson Place NW,
Washington DC 20036
E-mail:andrea@sparkmedia.org