A documentary produced for author J.K. Rowling’s charity Lumos is online now. Clips from the film have received over 100,000 views so far on social media.
Directed, produced, and edited by Niamh Heery, who worked closely with Lumos’s Bulgaria and Colombia offices to gather footage from two real institutions in very different countries, Together We Stared at the Moon highlights the urgent issue of institutionalisation and the tireless and diverse work taking place to end the practice.
“What struck me as I was accepted into these very different worlds was the practitioners’ extremely personal dedication to their job. When asked about DI, any practitioner in Bulgaria or Colombia will say that love is the most important factor in the whole process.” noted Niamh. “The individuality of the child and the need for their voice to be heard were something we discussed a lot, not because it’s a line from a policy document, but because these people know and love each child as a unique human being and know the importance of their voice in this process. This common dedication is an invisible thread that ties the two places together across the globe in this film. The challenges each team face are very different, showing us how varied the DI experience can be, but there is always the same question driving these hard working people: what is best for the child?”
Read more and watch the film here.