Stolen Childhoods

Narrated by Meryl Streep and filmed in eight countries, Stolen Childhoods is the story of 246 million children for whom life is nothing but work. Children are found working in dumps, quarries and brick kilns. One boy has been pressed into forced labor on a fishing platform in the Sea of Sumatra, a fifteen-year-old runaway describes being forced into prostitution on the streets of Mexico City, while a nine-year-old girl picks coffee in Kenya to help her family survive. The film features stories of child laborers around the world, told in their own words, while placing their stories in the broader context of the worldwide struggle against child labor, how it contributes to global insecurity, while featuring best practice programs to improve their lives by giving them the chance of making a reasonable living when they grow up. Ultimately, the film challenges the viewer to help break the cycle of poverty for the 246 million children laboring at the bottom of the global economy.

Directed by U. Roberto Romano, Len Morris, Stolen Childhoods leans on a strong ensemble — Meryl Streep, Tom Harkin, Evyenia Constantine — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2005.