Children of the Pyre
Director Rajesh S. Jala
Countries
Duration 74 min
Synopsis
Varanasi, for many a synonym of India, perhaps owes a large part of its fame to Manikarnika, the busiest cremation ground in India. Over 150 bodies are consigned to flames here everyday with the guarantee of instant moksha or liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths. No wonder so many people come here to die or to be cremated after death. Understandably, death is big business here – involving all kinds of professionals – big and small. Amidst grieving relatives, profit hungry shopkeepers and somber cremators can be spotted groups of frolicking children who have turned this graveyard into their playground and a source of their livelihood. 'Children of the Pyre' is a compelling real-life, self-narrative of seven such extraordinary children who make their living out of the dead. They collect, snatch or steal used coffin shrouds and sell them for petty amounts in order to ensure their own and their family's survival Tempered by the heat of the pyre, strengthened in the face of adversities and crafted by a volley of abuses, these imps weave through the pyres and struggle through disdain in this land of the dead. Laughing, smiling, weeping, fighting and shouting, these children run the race for survival - winning it again and again – everyday. The film is a terrible saga of exploitation that celebrates the victory of innocence over the most harrowing realities of life. It's a torturous journey through seared bodies, callous minds and dead consciences that constitute the human reality of the ghats at Varanasi
Varanasi, for many a synonym of India, perhaps owes a large part of its fame to Manikarnika, the busiest cremation ground in India. Over 150 bodies are consigned to flames here everyday with the guarantee of instant moksha or liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths. No wonder so many people come here to die or to be cremated after death. Understandably, death is big business here – involving all kinds of professionals – big and small. Amidst grieving relatives, profit hungry shopkeepers and somber cremators can be spotted groups of frolicking children who have turned this graveyard into their playground and a source of their livelihood. 'Children of the Pyre' is a compelling real-life, self-narrative of seven such extraordinary children who make their living out of the dead. They collect, snatch or steal used coffin shrouds and sell them for petty amounts in order to ensure their own and their family's survival Tempered by the heat of the pyre, strengthened in the face of adversities and crafted by a volley of abuses, these imps weave through the pyres and struggle through disdain in this land of the dead. Laughing, smiling, weeping, fighting and shouting, these children run the race for survival - winning it again and again – everyday. The film is a terrible saga of exploitation that celebrates the victory of innocence over the most harrowing realities of life. It's a torturous journey through seared bodies, callous minds and dead consciences that constitute the human reality of the ghats at Varanasi