Search - Children of God on DVD

Christine A. (WriteReviseEdit) from ROCHESTER, NY
Reviewed on 1/30/2013...

This is not a film I would recommend for its visual appeal...though it has that.

There are many compelling and poetic shots and images in this film. But, its not a cinematic wonder. Its beauty lies in the fact that its lens and narrative are focused on the grittier side of life as it plays out for child beggars along Nepal's Baghmati River. Their day-to-day survival requires them to do things which some (ex: those with deep religious ties?) might find ghastly or uncivilized. I didn't have a moral or ethical problem with the material and found it moving, to say the least. I appreciate the fact that it's not slick and that the children had a definitive starring role.

If I had to compare "Children of God" to any other film I guess I would say "Born Into Brothels" minus the outsider involvement/intervention aspect. If you're not into hyper-realist documentary films which take you face-to-face with real, live, hard-luck situations that are grim, gritty, sad and/or potentially disturbing this is not the film for you. If, on the other hand, you ARE then this film will give you a first-hand, slice-of-life look at how the underprivileged get by and it will probably affect you deeply.

I feel about it the way I feel about "It Was a Wonderful Life". Maybe because of its life-on-the-streets subject matter? In any case, I love it and can't help but carry those kids in my heart now. And, if nothing else, that makes it all worthwhile.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Touching and Inspiring Documentary

Pepe | 07/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Children of god is a fascinating documentary that follows a group of boys on their quest to survive in the slums around a sacred and holy city of Nepal.

I was very touched when I saw the lifes of the children who live beside the Baghmati River in Nepal. This area is considered the holiest and most sacred to the Nepalese people.

This documentary takes an indepth look into this holy area and the children who use it to survive. Their touching story was revealed to me by their stories and their actions. I was especially affected when I saw these boys being exposed to violence and drugs, and stealing money from the ceremony.

This documentary will open your eyes to a world you have never seen, and I wish that everyone could watch this documentary.
"

Poignant and powerful

J. Jeong | 08/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i applaud the filmmaker for this poignant and powerful piece... at first, i was worried that it would be yet another film trying to cash in on the 'slumdog millionaire' craze (which i have ambivalent feelings about, concerning that it is a sickly sweet portrayal of poverty and terrible ordeals, not unlike 'Life is Beautiful' and such fares) but this documentary is anything but that! it is a REAL, POWERFUL portrayal of slum children that strikes so many genuine chords of sorrow (and happiness!) that even with my skepticism, i couldn't help but be MOVED. thank you for this, it re-affirmed that people and places shown in realistic viewpoints can still be powerful, without multiple takes or disneyland endings."

A little known gem

E. Laway | Temecula, California United States | 08/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Really don't know how or who made this documentary or what inspired the filmakers to make this doc, because THERE ARE NO EXTRAS! What makes this unique amongst slum kids, homeless kids and no hope children mill of documentaries is the back drop and the principals or the subjects themselves have such genuine and radiant personality. It also doesn't make any apologies although it gets a little poetic at times. The back drop also lends a lot of interest-a creamatorium besides the Baghmati River on the sacred ground of a Hindu Temple in Katmandu. This is a multi-layered story intervweaving the really weird death rituals in this region where food, money, clothing flowers, tears, devotion and unquestionable care is given to the dead while homeless children, iliteracy and poverty is crying out for the same attention. Ironically, it is the dead that feeds these hungry children where the necessity of hunger and survival are supported by the offerings that are made to the dead, from the food that they leave on the temple, the coins that drop on the bottom of the river, the cloths that are offered to the dead and even gold fillings that the older boys pan for. Everything that comes from the dead support these poor homeless boys. The doc centers on a little boy, 12yr old Alesh Poudel who in better circumstances could've been a movie star or just a happy go luck kid living in the suburbs. He recalls living in a nice house in the country with his family but circumstances have driven him, his alcoholic mother, glue sniffing elder brother and a little charming sister that he must care for into the crematorium. Alesh also is the narrator of the story, the filmakers offer no explainations or background about their topic because it doesn't really need it. But the film itself show the love and care that the crew has for their subject in subtle ways, the little boy makes allusion such as "I want to learn Korean so I can go with you" or "Is it nice where you are from, Korea?" so I assume this is a Korean film crew. Anyway, this is a really intelligent and well made doc that worth checking out. It tells the lives of children so far away yet they seem close because you have nothing but admiration more than pity for them."