October 2008 – September 2009: Directed by Ms.Padma Reddy.
“Any one who has seen Slumdog Millionaire should see this muted documentary, directed with sympathy and style by Ms Padma Reddy…” Dr Vithal Rajan in the Hindu on 26th June 2009.
Platform 8-a short documentary of the life of children on railway platforms and the work of NGOs on platform. Platform 8 captures the situation of runaway children who have made this platform in Secunderabd station their home. The stories are of children who choose to runaway and the efforts of those who are determined to protect them from the perils of their situation.
Children leave home for many reasons –the lures of city life, the opportunities to make a fast buck or the fear of significant elders like father, mother, brother, employers, guardians or teachers. While children of all ages are running away this tendency is seen most in adolescents. They often find their ways to railway stations and build their lives around them. They are continuously exposed to harsh environments. They are vulnerable to risks such as to inadequate nutrition, physical and sexual abuse, and health problems. They are not well anchored in appropriate relationships that shape childhood and those who have been on the platforms for a long time seem to have ‘hardened’ and lost their childhood. Continue Reading →