|
In November, 1995, "Smoky Mountain," the garbage dump that had served Manila for over 40 years, was closed completely by the government of the Philippines for being "a symbol of poverty."
After this, the garbage that had previously been dumped at Smoky Mountain began to be taken to Payatas dump in Quezon City. (Anti-air pollution laws prohibit the burning of garbage in the Philippines.)
While reporting on the Payatas dump, director Shinomiya Hiroshi realized that many children were being born with disabilities. (He discovered over 200 cases of this.) Shinomiya's decision to shoot this project was born from his desire to convey this harsh situation to the rest of the world by filming the children with disabilities.
However, when he began living with the children, he gradually stopped seeing them as "disabled children."
Over time, he stopped wanting to portray the tragic situation of the residents of the dump, and wanted instead to convey a sense of the people and families who live proudly, doing their best.
|
|