“Children Underground” is a documentary made in 2001, following the lives of five kids out of the thousands who are homeless in Bucharest, Romania. Most the homeless children are unwanted by their families, which then leave these kids on the hunt for a new “home”. The streets tend to offer a better living environment for these kids who are abandoned or have ran away from home because they can become comfortable and feel wanted in the streets, even though it doesn’t seem ideal. The increasing number of children in the streets was amplified by Nicolae Ceausescu, who in 1966 prohibited the methods of contraception use and abortion.
“Children Underground” follows the lives of five children, aging between eight to 16 years old, who live in a subway station. What was really enlightening about these kids was how they were in control and the power they had in their own world. The methods of living or surviving were lying, panhandling, stealing, trading, drugs, and fighting. They were all creative and had their own distinct characteristics. Cristina, age 16, appears to be a tough teenage boy, but is actually a girl. She lied about herself to put on this tough boy-image so that she wouldn’t get further harassed or abused for being a girl. She provides power and protection for the younger kids. Mihai, age 11, has a pure heart. Unlike the other children who panhandle, he works for the local shops by helping them carry products and stocking shelves. He believes by doing good to life, good will be rewarded back to him as he gets older. Macarena, age 14, is a drug addict of Aurolac paint. She earned her nickname “Macarena” because she loves that song and is always dancing the Macarena. Ana, age 10, and Marian, age 8, are brother and sister, who have ran away from home to the streets thinking it has provided a better life for them.
After watching this, the pain and suffering these kids go through has seems to be a way of life that they have become numb to it. While the normal world revolves around them, the kids have created, in a sense, their own world that gives them some power and equality. It was not their choice to create this world, but a world that had to be created because of past government laws, which has created dysfunctional families. In most cases, thousands families could not help support their own children, leading to thousands of abandoned kids living on the streets. It hurts knowing that these innocent kids were left with no right to live.
The Global Perspective of Children 