Punam

Nine-year-old Punam Tamang's voice transports us to the Nepali city of Bhaktapuru. We are presented with a stark description of this young girl's hard life and the dismal social conditions in which she lives. Punam's mother died when Punam was only five. She is left behind with her father, her newborn sister Rabina, and her two-year-old brother Krishna. Her father works from sunrise to sundown in a rice factory, so during the day Punam assumes her role as head of the family, caregiver, and homemaker. The film takes us into the lives of Punam's friends, who have to work in a quarry or brick-making factory to help their families get by. It also takes a peek into the poor five-grade school, which is a symbol of hope for Punam. She believes that education is the only opportunity for improving their situation; education will usher in progress by bringing about new job opportunities in better conditions. We look at the world through the eyes of this young Asian girl, who dreams of becoming a teacher and helping other children in situations like hers.