Kingdom of Clay Subjects

Running time: 88 mins

At some point, all children lose their innocence.  Ten-year-old Jamal loves his carefree life with his mum in rural Bangladesh, until the day when he is robbed of his innocence when his childhood friend and everyday playmate is forced to become a child bride. With new insight into social norms, Jamal begins to notice his surroundings and realizes his need for a social identity. His search puts his mother at risk, as she has a past she is forced to hide. Faced with the dilemma of losing his mother, Jamal stands up to social oppression to find that all is not lost. "With a child's-eye view of events reminiscent of Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali, this is a tale told with humor, visual flair, and a canny sense of narrative. Director Bijon shows real empathy for both the children's sadness and their ingenious pluck in the face of life's obstacles." Sponsored by the Applied Materials Foundation