Stories
that have emerged about working class people
have invariably been stories arousing sympathy
for the poor and respect for the benevolent,
and have not addressed the politics of inequality
and exploitation, or the power of the elite.
In a country where most people can neither
read nor write, images remain a powerful
tool of communication and entertainment.
It was felt that images produced by working
class children, could perhaps overcome this
inequality. This collective attempt by these
working class children of Mirpur by name
"Out of Focus" and Drik remains
one of the few examples where such complete
authority has been questioned.
Drik
has now been working with the children for
eight years. Despite their many disadvantages,
the children have been remarkably successful.
The children have had major international
exhibitions, successful television and radio
broadcasts, films that have been nominated
for awards in international festivals and
publications in mainstream media. Through
the media company that the children have
themselves setup and the training they are
now providing to working class children
in neighbouring countries, Out of Focus
will ensure that other voices will be heard.