Children Underground

Theatrical Release Date: 2001 09 19 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 767685950838

Studio: New Video Group

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Questionable for Children, Profanity, Substance Abuse]

Summary: When Romanian dictator Nicolei Ceaucescu outlawed the use of contraceptives and encouraged his subjects to have more children in a bid to increase his nation's population, his campaign had a terrible and dangerous side effect -- thousands of children were born to broken or dysfunctional families in a nation mired in political and economic instability, resulting in a large and rapidly growing population of homeless children in the city of Bucharest, with their numbers estimated at over 20,000. Children Underground is a documentary that explores this ongoing tragedy, offering a view of the larger problem and taking a closer look at the lives of five children living on the streets of Bucharest. Sixteen-year-old Cristina survived physical torture and a stay in a mental institution before escaping to Bucharest's Victory Plaza, where she's the hard-bitten leader of a gang of young hoodlums. Fourteen-year-old Macarena is a lost soul who gets through her days by sniffing paint fumes. Twelve-year-old Mihai comes from a home so fearsome he has opted to be homeless rather than stay with his abusive father, who once chained him to a radiator so he would not run away. Ten-year-old Ana is often beaten by older children, and like Macarena, blots out her misery by sniffing paint; she tries to protect her eight-year-old brother, Marian, who already bears the emotional scars of his violent and chaotic childhood. The first feature from documentarian Edet Belzberg, Children Underground received an enthusiastic reception and many positive reviews after its screenings at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Culture & Society

Awards: Special Jury Prize – Sundance Film Festival Best Documentary Feature – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Truer Than Fiction Award – Independent Spirit Awards

Features: "Where Are They Now" updates
Filmmaker and additional crew biographies
Filmmaker statement
Resource guide to organizations and charities
Interactive menus
Scene selection

Children Underground

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 02/25/2003

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 104 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Another Day [8:32]
2. The Kids Get High [10:09]
3. The Night Shift [10:00]
4. Go Away From Here [7:52]
5. Children at Work [6:20]
6. Casa Saint Ioan [10:58]
7. The Open House [7:14]
8. Mihai's Family [5:07]
9. A Father's Frustration [8:26]
10. A Very Different Path [5:08]
11. Ana and Marian Go Home [13:45]
12. One Year Later [14:17]

Cast and Crew: Edet Belzberg  Director 
Edet Belzberg  Producer 

Country: USA,Romania