Browse films

Children of Bal Ashram

Len Morris
United States, 2018, 64 min.

In Hindi with English subtitles.
This film is family friendly.

AIFF Award Winner:
Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking

What happens after the raid, when terrified child slaves are rescued from criminal employers? At Bal Ashram, Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and his wife Sumedha provide a home and family for boys rescued from child labor. As the boys play and learn at Bal Ashram, their education is more than simply academic. They learn their rights, and they learn to assert their humanity. From slaves to shock troops in the war against child labor - the children of Bal Ashram fight for their peers still trapped in bonded labor.

Director's Statement

We remember when Kailash Satyarthi and Sumedha had only their personal conviction that child labor and slavery can and should be ended in their lifetimes. This is what drew us to their cause. Now that cause belongs to the world and the end of child slavery is in view. It's our children who now take the lead.

Category: Documentary, Award Winner.
Themes: Community, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Labor, Youth.

More in Documentary

  • Desert Passages

    Desert Passages

    Laurence Durkin
    Ireland, 2026, 75 min.

    The Colorado River is drying up. Reservoirs are falling to record lows and drought continues to ravage the borderlands of the United States and Mexico. The... more ›

  • Hollywood's Mermaid: The Esther Williams Story

    Hollywood's Mermaid: The Esther Williams Story

    Brian Gersten
    United States, 2026, 20 min.

    From swimming champion to Hollywood starlet, Esther Williams was arguably one of the most recognizable actresses of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s yet her story has... more ›

  • More Than Santa Baby

    More Than Santa Baby

    Tamar Springer
    United States, 2025, 39 min.

    An inspiring story of perseverance, resilience and hope, More Than Santa Baby honors the prolific artistic legacy of "Santa Baby" composer Philip... more ›