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Sumedha Kailash, Kailash Satyarthi, Rachel Roy and Rajendra Roy at the screening at MOMA. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for YouTube Originals)

The Price of Free:

Kailash Satyarthi, Fearless Child Advocate, in America

Watch this powerful film on Youtube Channel 

We’ve all seen thrillers with spine-tingling action, gangsters, undercover agents and secret raids to unearth narcotics, jewels or bombs. In ‘The Price of Free’, all these elements are there except the contraband goods are real, live children who are being abused as modern day slaves. Yes, it’s all about ruthless traffickers, corrupt officials and greedy factory bosses looking to their bottom-line. The story is no fictional tale but the real life drama of Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s courageous mission to free children from the chains of bonded labor.

This quintessentially Indian tale is of international dimensions for forced child labor and abuse is embedded in the global economy. ‘The Price of Free’ premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival where it won the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize. A screening of the film was held recently at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) hosted by American designer Rachel Roy who has been deeply inspired by Satyarthi’s work, and was organized by her brother Rajendra Roy who is the Chief Curator of Film at MOMA.

Kailash Satyarthi and his wife Sumedha were both present at the packed screening of this powerful film and the audience got a chance to meet them as well as Derek Doneen, the young first-time director of ‘The Price of Free’. The film is directed by Doneen and produced by Davis Guggenheim and Sarah Anthony and co-produced by Purnima Raghunath. Executive Producers included Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Elise Pearlstein, Laurene Powell Jobs, Shannon Dill and Jonathan Silberberg.

Co-produced and co-financed by Participant Media and Concordia Studio, the 90-minute YouTube Original feature length documentary will debut on YouTube channel SoulPancake on November 27th, timed to coincide with #GivingTuesday

The early morning raids that you see in ‘The Price of Free’ are all authentic and happening in real time as after months of research and investigation as members of Satyarthi’s organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) or BBA, go in for the swoop, accompanied by armed guards to rescue the exploited children who are often made to disappear by their masters. There is real danger as the results of each raid are unpredictable.

Doneen said it was a challenge making this movie, especially since portions of it were undercover with hidden cameras covering the raid and rescue operations. He said the filming was a challenge as a filmmaker but also as a human being because he had to separate his emotions for the children will directing these scenes. “At the end of the day the hope is that it will move audiences to have a conversation and to support Kailash in his work.”

At the same time, the movie has moments of tenderness and joy as the rescued children get a new life in the rehabilitation centers created by Kailash and his wife Sumedha, giving respite to these children who learn to play, thrive and have normal lives again. Satyarthi has such a steely resolve as rescuer and champion of the children but can be soft and gentle with them, offering them a kindness and humor they have rarely seen in their rough, tough young lives.

Through the film you get to understand the charismatic man behind the movement and how and why he is compelled to be the moral compass of a world which crassly uses and abuses children for economic reasons. In a cut-throat business world, what can be cheaper and more desirable than free labor? Children have no voice, no vote and they are just a commodity to be manipulated. ‘The Price of Free’ shows just how important is Satyarthi’s movement in giving children back their childhood.

 

This was director Derek Doneen’s first visit to India and he got to see the life of the great advocate upclose. Ask him what he found to be Satyarthi’s most special quality and he says: ‘His work speaks for itself. He’s rescued 85,000 children over the last 35 years and since he’s been doing this work, the number of child laborers has dropped by more than a 100 million. When you meet him you see he’s got a relentlessly unapologetic optimism which is really wonderful when you consider the horrific kind of things he sees in his work. It puts everything in my life into perspective. It affects the way I shop and spend my money and I hope it will do that for the audience as well.”

The film highlights Satyarthi’s efforts to end child labour and shares ways that audiences in India and America can bring about change in their communities and around the world. One way is to reject consumer goods that are made using child labor in any form.

As producer Davis Guggenheim points out, “I think most of us in the West, until recently myself included, are unaware of the terrible human cost that comes with the lifestyle we lead. We love that so many things are cheap and we can get what we want and not have to think about it. I believe Kailash can succeed in ending child slavery, but first he will need all of us to become more tuned into how our personal actions are connected to people on the other side of the world.”

So watch the ‘The Price of Free’ on November 27 on the Youtube Channel – and do your bit!

Here is the movie – thanks to Youtube! Watch it with your family and friends.