“JAYA HE”
Producer(s) : Leena Kejriwal and Tushar Kejriwal
Logline
A short documentary about livelihood and hope, following Jaya Ghosh, a woman who was trafficked into prostitution when she was 14, and her journey from the brothel to a young school in the same locality, called "Hamari Muskaan".
Our Take
This marked photographer-activist Leena Kejriwal’s first venture into filmmaking , during a time she was yet to found the non-profit ‘Missing Link Trust’, an organisation that has gone on to become a leading force in the Awareness and Prevention of Sex-Trafficking and Child Sexual Violence. In this 5-minute documentary, we followed a survivor ,Jaya Ghosh, within the confines of an infamous (and active) red light area in Kolkata known as Premchand Boral Street. So the shoot needed to be discreet and filming needed to be well-timed. Thankfully, because of the founder of ‘Hamari Muskaan’ and our ever positive, glowing lead protagonist, we were empowered to enter spaces we wouldn’t have dared to otherwise , and piece together a story of many women who are captured and enslaved, and of finding hope in unimaginable, horrific circumstances, all within a five-minute runtime.
Winner of the Yes Foundation YES! IamtheCHANGEMAKER award
Our Take
This marked photographer-activist Leena Kejriwal’s first venture into filmmaking , during a time she was yet to found the non-profit ‘Missing Link Trust’, an organisation that has gone on to become a leading force in the Awareness and Prevention of Sex-Trafficking and Child Sexual Violence. In this 5-minute documentary, we followed a survivor ,Jaya Ghosh, within the confines of an infamous (and active) red light area in Kolkata known as Premchand Boral Street. So the shoot needed to be discreet and filming needed to be well-timed. Thankfully, because of the founder of ‘Hamari Muskaan’ and our ever positive, glowing lead protagonist, we were empowered to enter spaces we wouldn’t have dared to otherwise , and piece together a story of many women who are captured and enslaved, and of finding hope in unimaginable, horrific circumstances, all within a five-minute runtime.
Winner of the Yes Foundation YES! IamtheCHANGEMAKER award