JAYU presents Human Rights Film Festival: A Year of Hope

Graphic, shocking and eye-opening, A Year of Hope is a cinematic guide into the world of Manila’s street youth. Mikala Krogh follows 20 children during their one year stay at Stairway Center - a local charity that provides street children of Manila with shelter, food and schooling for 12 months. The Stairway social workers focus on helping youth recover from the sexual abuse and trauma they experienced while living on the streets. Simultaneously, Krogh films police cadets being trained on child sexual abuse at the National Police Training Institute. Juxtaposing children’s personal stories with the footage from the police training, Krogh punctures the social stigma around sexual violence that makes Manila’s children easy targets for sexual predators. Capturing the chilling realities of the city’s impoverished youth, A Year of Hope gives survivors a way to express themselves and be heard, showing hope in the darkest corners of Philippines’ capital. - Anastasia Akulinina

Screening with: Your Mother is a Thief

Q&A with director Mikala Krough via Skype.