Roy, Toti, Yoshi, Lena

SUBJECT: CHILD RIGHTS

Roy
2004, The Netherlands, 26 min
Abandoned gold mines in Peru are often places where unplanned settlements are often built up or poor population moves in abandoned miners' villagers, trying to find gold remains in already processed rocks and empty mining shafts. Since the families have no appropriate equipment, the physical work is the most important. Children are a part of it every day, helping parents to solve their existential problems. Because of difficult conditions, children are often seriously injured, but they do not have appropriate health care.

Toti
2004, The Netherlands, 28 min
Toti is a fourteen year old girl from Massai tribe. When she was eleven, her mother told her she would be married off. The cattle her family would gain from her marriage are necessary for them to survive. Toti decided to run away so her twin sister was married off instead. Three years later, Toti tries to renew contacts with her sister and family and goes back home upon her mother's invitation. Their meeting is tense and full of emotions.

Yoshi
2004, The Netherlands, 29 min
Yoshi is a story about sixteen year-old Yoshinori who has Asperger Syndrome, a disorder related to autism. He was enrolled into special school for children with learning problems, but he dreams of attending a regular secondary school with normal children of the same age.

Lena
2004, The Netherlands, 28 min
Twelve year-old Lena lives with her stepmother Gala in a village close to Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Lena's biological mother lives in Minsk, where the level of radiation is significantly lower. However, she can not take care of Lena, who suffers of serious health problems (brain cancer probably) and hopes Lena will accept to live with an Italian family who wants to adopt her. Gala tries to influence Lena, hoping she will decide to stay with her.

Duco Tellegen (The Netherlands, 1967) studied Audiovisual Media at the College of Arts in Utrecht. He works as director, screenwriter, producer and sound operator on mainly documentaries.
His films are often based on intensive research. For his four-part documentary ‘Behind closed eyes' (2000) about children trying to overcome their war experiences he received, among others, the City of Utrecht Prize (Dutch Film Festival 2000), the Dick Scherpenzeel press award and the Historical Documentary Award (International Meeting of Cinema & History, Istanbul 2001). In 2001 the IDFA nominated Tellegen's ‘Nisha', about an eleven-year girl from India who is infected with AIDS, for a Silver Wolf.