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"Small Voices" Now Available on DVD

by Heather E. Connell EDITOR'S NOTE: Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a documentary produced and directed by CCC member and volunteer, Heather Connell. Member-generated material that forwards pro-social action can be spotlighted in (it) magazine -- whether it is a PSA, a full-length documentary, an article or photo essay, we encourage you to submit story ideas that help fuel people's passion to make a difference. Please enjoy this background essay on Heather's own passion project. It was well over 100 degrees with 100% humidity the morning I arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in early March of 2006. Despite the fact my photographer Theresa and I had just spent a VERY long 24 hours of travel time crammed into the most decrepit airplane ever -- I was feeling energized. After a year's worth of pre-production, I was finally ready to begin filming on my documentary Small Voices: The Stories Of Cambodia's Children, an in depth examination of the struggles of the street and garbage dump children who live and work in a society that has largely forgotten them. I couldn't wait to get started -- as we took a taxi to our hotel on the Tonle Sap River, I begin planning how I would find the street children. Where did they hang out? What part of the city did they live and beg? I decided I would spend that first day speaking to people and finding where these children were so I could begin my work. First, I decided to walk from our hotel to a nearby store to buy some bottled water. In those three dusty, grimy blocks, children and beggars besieged me. A sickly woman with a naked baby held her hand out from where she sat looking up at me from the curb. Poverty was everywhere and I'd only gone three blocks. I realized I didn't have to search for what I was looking for. All I had to do was open my eyes. I have since realized that this is a concept we should all pay more attention too. If we all take the time to just open our eyes to what is going on in the world around us and in our own backyard, what a difference we could make. FINDING MY WAY TO CAMBODIA How I found myself in Cambodia to begin with was a journey in itself that was much longer than a year in the making. I had moved to Los Angeles eight years ago with vague ideas of finding fame and fortune as a storyteller. Shortly after I arrived, the writer's guild went on strike and I began looking for other ways to stay creative. Without having the first clue about what I was doing, I decided to make a short film. While the film wasn't exactly a masterpiece, I become hooked on the idea of using visual media to raise awareness. Our collective attention span as a society is fairly short and the idea that film could be used as a way to excite people about social issues and social awareness was very compelling. I founded Displaced Yankee Productions with that basic principal as a platform. Several years later, I had grownquite a bit as a filmmaker and felt I was ready to expand my horizonsbeyond short film and branch into features. Documentary storytelling --about real lives and events -- was a natural progression for me. Thereare literally thousands of stories just waiting to be told. I needed tofind a niche that matched my passions. Children's issues have alwaysbeen something that I have connected with on a personal level. Howthe crises of poverty, health care, environment and education affectour children globally is of high importance to me. I was alsointerested in countries that had recently suffered genocides and howthat had effected the subsequent generation of children. Cambodia wason a short list, but Darfur was top of my list. Then fate stepped inand planted me firmly on the path toward Cambodia. I attended the premiere of The Hotel Rwandaand found myself at the typical Hollywood after party face to face withAngelina Jolie. Anyone in the industry knows, you only get these kindsof opportunities once. I knew she was passionate about the issues inCambodia, so the writer in me took over and I pitched her out of thinair on the Cambodian documentary I was already working on. The nextmorning, with her contact information in hand, I was franticallywriting a proposal for my "current" project. While she ultimately didnot become involved with the film, as soon as I really started to diveinto the issues, I found my passion for it. I realized how off the mapCambodia was for most people. I would talk about my project withstrangers and friends alike and many of them didn't even know Cambodiahas suffered genocide or that is was in Southeast Asia. Often, peoplewould tell me how wonderful it was I was going to Africa. In fact, mostof them only knew that Tomb Raider had been filmed there. I realized I had found a story that needed to be told. WHAT GOOD ARE MY GOOD INTENTIONS? Ayear later, I was wondering if I had taken on more than I could handleemotionally. I had been there less then a day and was alreadyoverwhelmed by the problems. Worn down and hungry, Theresa and I hadcollapsed into chairs at an outdoor restaurant to rest and refuel. Thefood was wonderful, but it was hard keeping our appetites and ourcomposure when confronted by the scores of hungry children trying tocatch our eye. What do you do? Guilt, sadness, and anger over thesituation...then a boy of about eight appeared next to me. He didn'twant to be seen by the police lingering near the entrance, so hesquatted down between two large potted plants next to my chair andlooked up at us with big sad eyes. He pointed to my plate and then tohis mouth, pleading. I didn't know the words, but I understood thelanguage. It was heartbreaking. I palmed some vegetables into his handand he shoved them into his mouth and scampered off. Theresa and Ilooked at our plates of food and wanted none of it. We continued topick away. I was distracted and frustrated. Faced with something likethat, how much difference does all my good intentions make? How muchchange can I really effect and does it really help? Certainly that boycared nothing for documentaries. All he wanted was a bite to eat. Itgave me a lot to think about. Several days later, I foundmyself at Stung Meanchy, the city's garbage dump. I thought I wasprepared for this. I really did. After all, I have read about it, heardabout it, even seen pictures of it. This is why I'm here. But I wasutterly unprepared for the reality of the dump. Aheavy haze of smoke hung over acres upon acres of smoldering garbage.The landfill was enormous, stretching as far as the eye could see.Hundreds of people are picking through the refuse. The sting of thesmoke in our eyes is nothing compared to the rotting, cloying smell.Standing in the dump are make-shift shelters -- homes --for these desperately poor people. The conditions are not fit for anyhuman being, let alone for children. Dozens and dozens and dozens ofthem. While some thankfully wore rubber boots, others were barefoot.Massive dump trucks and backhoes moved with surprising speed throughthe throngs of people, digging and dumping piles of fresh garbage. Thechildren worked diligently and for the most part, silently. A new truckmeans new opportunity and as soon as one appears, everyone crowds forit -- so close it is easy to see how someone could be run over orburied in the rubble. I didn't know where to focus. The flies swarmedaround me and the smoke filled my eyes. I tried not to breathe. Thereis another child picking through molded and rotten food. There is onewrapping himself in a piece of old carpet he has hooked out of thepile. An intelligent young man who spoke excellent English struck up aconversation with Theresa. He wanted to know if she knows why they arehere, why they live and work here and where they come from. He was thepicture of lost potential. Given just a fraction of an opportunity,imagine what these kids could accomplish or do. A CHILD DOES NOT KNOW THEY ARE A DROP IN THE BUCKET Iknew in that moment that I would do whatever it took to see thisproject through and raise up the voices of children like that young manin the dump. Over the course of three years as I struggled with findingthe resources and the emotional toll of making the project -- and theguilt of my own privilege, I would think of the children I had met,their quiet struggle and innate goodness while facing a bleak anduncertain future -- and I would be reinvigorated. The challenges I facewould suddenly seem insignificant and trite when compared to the lifeof a boy in the dump who buries dead babies he finds to pay themrespect. It really puts things in perspective. Cambodiacontinues to be one of the poorest countries in Asia, with nearly halfof the population under the age of 18. Only 1.2% of the population goeson to achieve higher education. There is a growing health crisis, withHepatitis A & B spreading at an alarming rate. With no access toeducation, clean water and health care, the situation for the streetand garbage children of Cambodia can seem overwhelming and bleak. Butin the course of this project, I have come to realize that it isimpossible as an individual to change the big picture. However, thechanges we can effect on an individual level will be the catalyst thatturns the tide. It is often difficult to watch documentaries like Small Voices and walk away without wanting to do something. But often the problems seem so overpowering; it is an easy excuse for us to do nothing, thinking that it will not actually make a difference. But a child does not know they are a drop in the bucket. Whether that child in need is in Cambodia, Africa, or East Los Angeles - our obligation is the same. All we need to do is open our eyes. Heather'sfilm won multiple festival awards, and is now available on DVD throughCinema Libre Studios. See sidebar above to order now!

Small Voices Documentary: Now Available on DVD You can order the full-length "Small Voices" movie on DVD today -- just click on the image below: