CHILDREN OF THE PYRE

In Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, lies Manikarnika, India’s largest and oldest Hindu cremation ground. Here, among the funeral pyres that burn day and night, you will find 15-year-old Ravi and his friends. These 'untouchable' boys sell ornate shrouds that they snatch from corpses seconds after they have been set on fire. In this hell on earth, where charred remains are strewn across the ground and acrid smoke fills the air, they earn their living from the dead. Director Rajesh S. Jala spent one and a half years with Ravi and his gang. His gut-wrenching film shows how growing up in this awful atmosphere has taken its toll on the boys, both physically and psychologically. They suffer health problems, social exclusion and nightmares: "if you look at a corpse for long it gets into your head and comes back to you again and again" explains 15-year-old Kapil. They smoke marijuana to try to forget. Occasionally there are moments of relief – laughter and games - but for the most part theirs is a truly terrible existence.

"This is one of the real faces of our country and we need to look at this compassionately." Rajesh S. Jala