JOURNEY OF A RED FRIDGE

JOURNEY OF A RED FRIDGE

    Price: $310.00

    Code: 2295

    Directed by Lucian Muntean and Natasa Stankovic
    2007, 52 Minutes
    Purchase: $310 / Classroom Rental: $125

    The journey of a young boy, hired to carry a red Coca-Cola fridge across the Himalayan Mountains, is an acute portrait of child labor in the developing world.

    Hari is a student who lives in a small village in Nepal. To support his education, he works as a porter, carrying heavy loads up and down the mountains. Occasionally the loads consist of machinery or building materials, furniture or bags of food or medicine; most of the time it's a tourist's backpack, sometimes it's the tourists themselves. At 17, he already has three years experience in this grueling profession.

    Journey of a Red Fridge is an unusually beautiful and moving documentary that allows us to accompany Hari on one of his jobs - a four-day trek carrying a large red fridge through Nepal's stunning mountainous landscape, past lush riverside hot springs, Buddhist temples and small thatched hut villages. Along the way, we hear Hari's innermost thoughts, his fears and hopes for the future. We discover the local culture and gain insight into the economic and social conditions that have allowed child labor to make up 25% of the country's workforce. We also get to know the people that Hari meets on this journey, such as other porters carrying their loads or families who offer Hari a meal or bed for the night (in exchange for adding an item to his cargo).

    Supported by the Global Fund for Children, Journey of a Red Fridge is an unforgettable documentary film.

    Subjects & Collections



    Festivals & Awards

    * Official Selection, Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival, 2008
    * Official Selection, Amsterdam Documentary Film Festival, 2007
    * Winner, Silver Gentian, Trento Film Festival, Italy, 2008
    * Winner, Audience Award, Cronograf Documentary Film Festival, 2008
    * Official Selection, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, 2008
    * Official Selection, Krakow Film Festival, 2008
    * Official Selection, United Nations Association Film Festival


    Reviews

    “Provides an intimate view and raises many interesting questions about child labor. The film could be used as a starting point for students to explore such questions as what are the causes of child labor? What steps have policymakers taken to try to eradicate it?”—Asian Educational Media Service

    “Against a backdrop featuring some of the most beautiful and remote landscapes in the world, the phenomenal resilience and indomitable spirit of these young workers is both inspiring and heart breaking… The harsh reality of Hari Raj’s [a 17-year-old who carries heavy loads to communities throughout the Himalayan Mountains] daily life provides insight into his perspectives and hopes and helps viewers understand the struggles within many developing nations for a subsistent quality of life. A moving, unforgettable exploration of child labor for secondary schools with a strong social justice curriculum.” - School Library Journal


    Further Reading

    Learn more about the issue of child labor and how you can help eradicate it,
    visit the official website for Journey of a Red Fridge.