Ajyal Film Festival 2024

All Films

The Price of Free (Kailash)

Ajyal Competition

Derek Doneen / Feature Documentary / United States of America / 2018 / 90 min / Colour / DCP
In English, Hindi / Arabic, English subtitles
Interests: Documentary
Rated: Parental guidance advised for viewers under the age of 15. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or over.

Synopsis

'The Price of Free' follows the work of Nobel Peace Prize winner, and longtime crusader against child labour and slavery - Kailash Satyarthi. Taking the viewer on an emotional journey inside the hidden and overcrowded factories of India, it tells the story of the countless children who are forced into slave labour due to rising global demands for cheap goods. With the help of a covert network of informants, Kailash and his dedicated team carry out daring raids to rescue and rehabilitate these imprisoned children.

Hidden camera footage is intertwined with beautifully animated flashback sequences from Jason Carpenter to give us a truly personal look at some of the most tragic stories of Kailash's ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ (Save the Childhood Movement). Their achievement has been remarkable, through aggressive lobbying as well as individual rescues they have played a huge role in shrinking India’s child worker estimate from twelve million to four. Equal parts harrowing and motivating; filmmaker Derek Doneen pulls us into Kailash’s gripping pursuits and relentless energy to create the change he wants to see in the world.

About the Directors

Derek Doneen has worked closely with Davis Guggenheim since creating content for Guggenheim’s documentary 'Waiting for Superman', while working at Participant Media. Their creative partnership grew during Guggenheim’s 2016 convention film for President Obama, which Derek edited. Prior to directing Kailash, Derek directed the documentary short 'Spent: Looking for Change', produced the documentaries 'The Dream is Now' and 'Shot in the Dark', and edited 'Kobe Bryant’s Muse' for Showtime. 'Kailash' marks Doneen’s feature documentary debut.

Credits

Director
Derek Doneen
Producer
Davis Guggenheim, Sarah Anthony
Editor
Brian Lazarte, Joshua Altman
Executive Producer
Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Elise Pearlstein, Laurene Powell Jobs, Shannon Dill, Jonathan Silberberg
Co-Producer
Purnima Raghunath
Music
Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
Cinematographer
Lars Skree
Sales Company
Park Circus
Production Company
Participant Media
Other
Animation: Jason Carpenter
Cast
Kailash Satyarthi

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