You might have heard the saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well then, could a video not be worth a thousand pictures? It certainly applies for Len Morris, the famed human rights filmmaker, who has risked his entire life to capture videos of children being tortured, abused, and slowly murdered.
Lee started out his venture with an educational program for child laborers in Kenya. It flopped. But Len refused to give up on his dream. In 2004, he filmed his fated documentary "Stolen Childhoods", which became a huge hit, for one simple reason - It was the voice of the children that spoke out for themselves. From five year old runaways begging in tatters on the streets, to fifteen year old prostitutes that live a life too miserable for most of us to imagine, we saw the children themselves speak up against child labor, and it should inspire us to make a difference.
Rescuing Emmanuel ( 2009 ) and The Same Heart ( 2010 ) were two other masterpieces of Len's, apart from dozens of other short videos and films that he taken traveling around the world to document human injustice. He has received the Iqbal Masih Award ( Remember him? ), the Walter Cronkite Award, and Images and Voices of Hope Award for his groundbreaking work. Truly, he is a hero in the midst of chaos, one who wishes and decides to stand up for what is wrong and right it as it should be righted. Thank you, Len Morris.
Lee started out his venture with an educational program for child laborers in Kenya. It flopped. But Len refused to give up on his dream. In 2004, he filmed his fated documentary "Stolen Childhoods", which became a huge hit, for one simple reason - It was the voice of the children that spoke out for themselves. From five year old runaways begging in tatters on the streets, to fifteen year old prostitutes that live a life too miserable for most of us to imagine, we saw the children themselves speak up against child labor, and it should inspire us to make a difference.Rescuing Emmanuel ( 2009 ) and The Same Heart ( 2010 ) were two other masterpieces of Len's, apart from dozens of other short videos and films that he taken traveling around the world to document human injustice. He has received the Iqbal Masih Award ( Remember him? ), the Walter Cronkite Award, and Images and Voices of Hope Award for his groundbreaking work. Truly, he is a hero in the midst of chaos, one who wishes and decides to stand up for what is wrong and right it as it should be righted. Thank you, Len Morris.
Hi Arjun,
ReplyDeleteI want to ask a question about your blog. What is YOUR definition of child labor?
This is a pertinent question, and is about the personal belief you have given out. Please don't remove this question. I am asking a good question, not a "personal question". Please answer this.
Hi Bobby, Anonymous, Joe Jones OR whatever your name is :
DeleteAs an adult and a follower of this blog, I have been seeing this thread. I also know the blog that is referenced is an act of hatred by a fellow classmate. It is a pity to see cynicism among children.
If you care to understand the issue, there are plenty of websites. Please do us all a favor - educate yourself. If you still do not believe in the cause, you are welcome to stay away from this blog. We need positive energy in this world, not negativity from folks like you.