Of broken homes, family portraits and unborn children - Universal Children's Day

"The one thing all children have in common is their rights. Every child has the right to survive and thrive, to be educated, to be free from violence and abuse, to participate and to be heard. "- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Is divorce violence against children? The writer of this article seems to think so.

Penelope Trunk thinks “Divorce is immature and selfish: Don’t do it”

Are the kids better off when the parents “stay together for the kids” or are they better off when the parents divorce? It’s a heated debate that will continue even as the divorce rate continues to rise. But whatever side of the fence you are on, you cannot deny the anger and angst in these rock songs about children and divorce.

Stay Together for the Kids by Blink 182


Broken Home by Papa Roach


Blurry by Puddle of Mudd


Family Portrait by Pink


Serve the Servants by Nirvana


“Every child has the right…to participate and to be heard. "- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

"Natasha had great prospects and dreams for herself and her generation, but all crashed when her dreams were cut short..." - Synopsis of "Losing My Pride"

Nigerian filmmaker Ayo Donaldlove allows the child in his short film "Losing My Pride" to actively participate and to be heard. My colleague Luci Doll said of this short film: "Film is an art-form meant to elicit a reaction from the viewer. "Losing my Pride" certainly achieves that. From the beginning to its gruesome conclusion, it is a sadly familiar story, consistently surprising in it's retelling of an age old tale. The use of rock in the sound-track was unexpected, and surprisingly appropriate. Very nicely used."

"Losing My Pride" was one of five short films submitted to ROFFEKE from Nigeria and was the only one accepted. You can read more about “Nollywood: Punk Filmmaking in Nigeria” here

The debate continues as to when a child becomes a child but no matter which side of the fence you are on, when you watch Donaldlove’s short film, you will agree that it is a powerful short film that allows the child to be heard. You can watch it here

Another powerful short film is the animation "The Sound of Road" by Barzan Rostami, also a 2015 ROFFEKE Official Selection. There is no monologue by the child but he/she speaks volumes. You can watch it here

For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness could clear cloudy days
Like the music of the mountains, and the colours of the rainbow
They're a promise of the future and a blessing for today
- "Rhymes and Reasons" by John Denver

Happy universal children’s day!