In the hills of rural Bulgaria lies Mogilino, a small village whose main employer is the children's Social Care Home - where 75 unwanted children are growing up. Few of the children can talk, not necessarily because they are unable but rather because no one has ever taught them how.
With extraordinary access, director Kate Blewett takes us into this tragic silent world. Abandoned, these children are so devoid of normal everyday stimulus that many have taken to rocking slowly and constantly in their chairs just for something to do.
Bulgaria has more institutionalized mentally and physically disabled children than anywhere else in Europe. This film is a heart-rending and eye-opening look into the life of one such institution.
The production company, True Vision, sent a letter to the Bulgarian Embassy in London, England offering an opportunity to address the findings made in "Bulgaria's Abandoned Children".
Bulgaria's Abandoned Children Links
The Campaign for Bulgaria's Abandoned Children - A charitable foundation established shortly after the broadcast of the documentary in Britain. The official website features the latest news and developments in fundraising.
Friends of Bulgaria - A U.K. based charity, which provides humanitarian assistance. The website includes specific information about the Social Care Home in Mogilino.
Mogilino Blog - A blog most written in Bulgarian that began after the airing of the documentary and after an organization, Bulgarian Mothers' Movement, organized a protest in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in Sofia, Bulgaria. The blog advocates for reform in child welfare.
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee - A non-governmental organization that has investigated extensively the social care of the mentally disabled in Bulgaria.
UNICEF Bulgaria - Unicef's response to the children in Mogilino.
True Vision - The production company responsible for Bulgaria's Abandoned Children.
Director Kate Blewett Bio
Kate Blewett has been making documentaries for over twenty years now and has worked together with Brian Woods at True Vision Productions for the last 12 of those years.
Having grown up in Asia - Kate returned in her early twenties, spending ten years in Hong Kong/China. Her discovery of the conditions in China's state run orphanages led to the making of The Dying Rooms - a documentary that caused global outrage. Returning to England soon after completing The Dying Rooms, Kate has since continued to make films relating to the exploitation, neglect and abuse of men, women and children across the globe.
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