Product Details

• Actors: Cristina Ionescu, Mihai Alexandre Tudose, Violeta 'Macarena' Rosu, Ana Turturica, Marian Turturica
• Directors: Edet Belzberg
• Producers: Edet Belzberg, Jonathan Oppenheim, Alan Oxman, Michel Negroponte, Mona Nicoara
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: New Video Group
• VHS Release Date: February 25, 2003
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007KK10
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,793 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CHILLING..., September 2, 2003

By 

S. Calhoun "rhymeswithorange" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Children Underground (DVD)

CHILDREN UNDERGROUND follows a group of children living one subway station in Bucharest, Romania. These unwanted children exist as a result of Ceaucescus strict policy of outlaying abortions and birth control. Most grew up in orphanages while others lived with their families in dire poverty. They believe that their lives are better underground. This documentary films the daily exploits of these children along with the struggles they encounter to rehabilitate themselves. In order to attend school they must come clean and stop sniffing paint. In addition, they must have their identity papers, which are almost impossible for most of them. The most enduring parts of this film center on the interviews of the various family members of these children. Truly heartbreaking is the family of the small boy who doesnt understand why their youngest child wont return home. Watching this film will certainly make you appreciate the material things often taken for granted.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take this journey... harrow your soul., March 6, 2004

By 

Lacrimatorium (Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Children Underground (DVD)

Having just seen the DVD of Children Underground I must say strongly that this film should be seen by everyone in the postmodern first world. I saw these things for myself in Romania during December of 2000. The apathy on the streets of Bucharest was deep and dark. My friends there kept shrugging their shoulders saying; "What can you do?" A documentary on the thousands of dogs on the streets would be a riveting nightmare in itself. While I was there they held an election. The choice of presidential candidates was reduced to a hard-line old school communist and a new school fascist. The Communist won. People shrugged. The train stations and subway entrances were indeed hives for feral children. Im deeply grateful to Edet Belzberg for having the courage to descend into this manmade hell to bring these images back. It is my hope that the Romanians themselves find some of that same courage. I was moved that even at this stage of hell several of the kids held on to at least some idea of God. That could be seen by the cynically ironic of the West as the superstition of the hopeless, but perhaps it is also evidence that these children are not hopeless. To blame these problems on the lack of abortions or contraceptives is naïve and simplistic. Listen to the voices of the parents in this film. It is the apathy, the failure of courage and the utter selfishness reinforced by too many years of soul crushing communist dictatorship. We, ourselves, have no reason to gloat. Apart from having a surfeit of material possessions would we fare any better if the props were kicked from beneath us? Perhaps perhaps not. This film, along with Lilja 4-Ever, is a warning sign of something growing in this world. Robert L. Kaplan termed it The Coming Anarchy. It will spread. Meanwhile how will you respond to these things? With compassion or with apathy?

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nausiating, September 29, 2003

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Sean Cannon (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children Underground (DVD)

I have never seen anything like what is contained in this documentary. I am forever changed. I bought the DVD to be enlightened about "whatever it was" the film was about; I never thought it would have affected me the way it did. It can not be stated enough how imperative it is that people see this film.