CFUV @ VFF: Review of ‘Mass E Bhat’

“There are seven million child labourers here in Bangladesh, and I was one of them.” So says Nasir in Hannan Majid and Richard York’s documentary, Mass E Bhat. Nasir lives in Bangladesh’s Korail slum, where he and his colleagues at the Vialisa Foundation work diligently to recruit working children out of manual labour and into school programs during pivotal points in their young lives.

In this film, Nasir describes his own journey of moving from the village he group up in to the massive city of Dhaka. First he worked at a landfill, making seven cents a day for his family. At age 11, he left to work in a garment factory, sometimes bearing 14-hour shifts. Eventually, a charity worker helped him and his brother attain some schooling. Now Nasir works with the charity to give children in his community something to look forward to through education. In a show of true caring, he helps to provide the opportunities he was not granted himself as a young child.

We also meet some of the children currently working in the area. Among them is Raqib, who for three years has worked at the train station carrying luggage for passengers. He began when he was eight years old. We see him heave a large bag up over his shoulders and chat casually to the filmmakers as he goes about his work. While watching, it struck me that in certain ways this child seems more grown up than some adults I’ve known. In the western world, it can be far too easy sometimes to forget the luxuries and privileges we’re afforded, as well as the labour suffered to produce the things we take for granted.

The stories of the individuals interviewed for Mass E Bhat are worthy of documenting on their own merits, but the way they were presented in the film leaves the viewer with a stunning experience. The cinematography is gorgeous from the opening shots, and the scenes are pieced together well. The score is also captivating. While presenting a truly difficult and heart-rending reality, the film leaves you with a sense of hope rather than only despair.

Of all the films I’ve seen so far for the Victoria Film Fest, Mass E Bhat would be the one I’d recommend most. Everything comes together beautifully in this documentary, and the filmmakers clearly put a lot of thought into how best to present this important subject.

Mass E Bhat is playing at Parkside Resort & Spa at 7:15 pm February 12 for its Canadian premiere. Tickets are sold out, but seats are reserved for the first nine passholders who arrive.

— Linda Sjostrom