Necessary education

This documentary/PSA is meant to raise awareness for the school, which struggles with staff, resources, and the community’s resistance to change.

Neha, the titular child of this documentary, was born into the caste of “untouchables,” the lowest social and economic class in India. Without support, most of the parents of these children don’t know what kind of future their children will have. But when Neha enters the Bodhi Tree Educational Foundation she begins a transformative journey, exploring her talent for dancing through love and encouragement. What emerges at the end of Neha is a portrait of a girl who is kind, and smart, and who loves to dance. 

Even though Foundation has received a commendation from the Dalai Lama, they still don’t have the support they need.  LA-based filmmaker and documentarian Shiouwen Hong created Neha as part of their global outreach initiative, traveling to India to film in late 2019. 

To Hong, the pandemic only helped to reinforce the themes of her film. “We are living in unprecedented times where people are hurting and need to be heard, particularly the most vulnerable,” she says. “As the worldwide pandemic forces us all to collectively experience the despair of isolation and neglect, Neha’s story is a reminder that we can only be stronger by taking care of each other, leaving no one behind.”

As a human rights advocate and global citizen, Hong uses these project opportunities to speak about often under-reported causes. “Documentary filmmaking is a very liberating and personal art form as the stories are constructed and told largely from filmmakers’ experiences,” she says. “I try my best to be respectful of my subjects and conscious about the kind of message I’m sharing. My work is an extension of my values and my voice.”