PRODUCTIONS: MOZAMBIQUE: BARBARA'S CHILDREN

DIRECTOR

PRODUCER

DURATION

VERSIONS

FORMAT

Giorgio de Finis

SD Cinematografica

60'

SD

A journey through the Mozambique of the “meninos da rua” and the discovery of Barbara Hoffmann’s extraordinary and unusual example of solidarity.
A 36-year-old Swiss woman, together with her 900 children living in very “difficult conditions”.
This expression is even too light to describe a category including: parentless, poor and handicapped children, victims of beating and sexual abuse; those who underwent criminal proceedings, street-children without any education...and all that one can imagine to find in a marginal world.
Those who take advantage of “tia” (aunt) Barbara’s loving cares are, not only the children of ASEM (association without profit for Mozambiquean children) but also the other Mozambiquean children, because Barbara seems to have adopted all of them.
When she walks in the streets of Beira the children run forward to meet her, they call and greet her and tell their present problems.
With her we met Jaime, the boys of Town-Hall Square, we listened to their stories...
If one takes into account statistics, it is clear that contributions such as Barbara Hoffmann’s are only drops in the ocean, however she met neither numbers nor statistics on her path.
It is not easy to ignore the stories and, above all, the eyes of these children.