The Children We Sacrifice

A film by Grace Poore

2000 | 61 minutes | Color | DVD | Order No. 00664

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SYNOPSIS

Shot in India, Sri Lanka, Canada and the United States, and screened in 18 countries, this evocative, visually powerful documentary is about incestuous sexual abuse of the South Asian girl child. By interweaving survivors' narratives, including the producer's own story, with interviews with South Asian mental health professionals, and with statistical information, as well as poetry and art, THE CHILDREN WE SACRIFICE discloses the many layers of a subject traditionally shrouded in secrecy. Insights into the far-reaching psychological, social and cultural consequences of incest are accompanied by thoughtful assessments of strategies that have helped adult women cope with childhood trauma. The film also analyzes social and cultural resistance in South Asia and the Diaspora to dealing with incest's causes and its effects on its victims. This personal and collective letter from South Asian incest survivors and their advocates is both a validation of their struggle and a compelling charge to protect future generations of children better.

PRESS

"The Children We Sacrifice" is a groundbreaking film that poignantly exposes the silenced subject of incest and sexual abuse against girls. The survivors' stories of pain and strength will undeniably touch your heart and inspire you to speak out against the violence."

Prema Vora Sakhi for South Asian Women

"Poore's voice is powerful and unhesitating, yet never shrill. 'The Children We Sacrifice' is not just a saga of victimization; it is a celebration of girls' and women's strength, resilience, and the beauty of life."

Shamita Das Dasgupta Manavi, Inc.

SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS AND AWARDS

2000 Rosebud Award
2001 Creating a Voice Award

ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)

Grace Poore

Grace Poore is a South Asian feminist lesbian writer and video activist who produces and uses video to advocate for an end to violence against women and girls. Much of her work looks at the intersections between domestic violence and other oppressions, and how mainstreaming the movement to stop domestic violence continues to marginalize women who defy the conventional understanding of domestic violence. She does video presentations and offers workshops to community and campus groups in the US. Her documentary, VOICES HEARD SISTERS UNSEEN has been screened at conferences and domestic violence workshops in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and is used by battered women's programs around the U.S. on how best to translate personal and organizational attitude into empowering policy and practice. Her video, THE CHILDREN WE SACRIFICE, is about preventing incestuous sexual abuse of the girl child in South Asian communities. It involves India, Sri Lanka, the U.S. and Canada and is being released in conjunction with community workshops in all four countries. In addition to video production, Grace has worked for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka and the US-based National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Her writing deals with the violence of coerced heterosexuality, cross-racial hostility, and the complications of multiple homes for South Asian women living in sexual exile in the US. Her essays and short stories have been published in various journals and anthologies including Sinister Wisdom, Gay Community News, Trikone, Our Feet Walk The Sky, The Very Inside, Pearls Of Passion, Options, and Patchwork Shawl: Chronicles Of South Asian Women in America.

Grace is currently the Regional Program Coordinator for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. (07/12)

Subject Areas

Asia Asian American Child Abuse Health Human Rights Immigration and Exile Psychology Sexual Assault South Asia/India Young Women

Voices Heard Sisters Unseen

VOICES HEARD SISTERS UNSEEN is a powerful and inspirational film showing how survivors of domestic violence are working to change the way the system treats battered women in search of justice and safety. Interviews, poetry, dance and music combine to present a feminist analysis about how courts, police and social services 're-victimize' battered women who are deaf, disabled, lesbians, prostitutes, HIV-positive or without official immigrant status. VOICES HEARD SISTERS UNSEEN is an important call for multi-issue activism and an integrated response to services for battered women.

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Sisters Rising

Native American survivors of sexual assault fight to restore personal and tribal sovereignty against the backdrop of an ongoing legacy of violent colonization.

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Waking Up to Rape

"If I were to choose only one film on sexual assault to show to a class or to the general public, I would select WAKING UP TO RAPE. This is a powerful film that examines the personal trauma of rape, its long-term psychological effects, societal attitudes about sexual assault, and the problem of racism in the criminal justice system. Three rape survivors (Black, Chicana, and white) courageously describe their rape experiences (acquaintance rape, incest, and stranger rape). The film also features scenes with women police officers, counselors, and self-defense instructors. Unlike most films, it offers strong support for women viewers who are coping with their own sexual assault experiences. I highly recommend it for college classes, everyone who works with sexual assault survivors, and the general public." -Feminist Collections

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Salma

When Salma, a young Muslim girl in a south Indian village, was 13 years old, her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were Salma’s salvation. She began covertly composing poems on scraps of paper and, through an intricate system, was able to sneak them out of the house, eventually getting them into the hands of a publisher. Against the odds, Salma became the most famous Tamil poet: the first step to discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village. As with her other work (PINK SARIS, ROUGH AUNTIES, SISTERS IN LAW), master documentarian Kim Longinotto trains her camera on an iconoclastic woman. Salma’s extraordinary story is one of courage and resilience. Salma has hopes for a different life for the next generation of girls, but as she witnesses, familial ties run deep, and change happens very slowly. SALMA helps us understand why the goal of global education of girls is one the most critical areas of empowerment and development of women worldwide.

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