Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Heiwa Zou Resha~Peace Elephant Train Commenced!

ZOU RESHA-Elephant Train has started chugging ! It is a new theatrical dance production by the Bornfree Art School. It is based on the true story about the preciousness of animals's lives and peace during and after the Second World War in Japan and India.

In 1938, the four elephants were shifted to the Nagoya Zoo from Kinoshita Circus and they were so famous for performing in the zoo. By the time, Japan had started to occupy the Asian countries whereas the lives for the people were also under the threat by the bombing by the US Army. The Zoos were ordered to kill animals especially, ferocious ones like bears, cheetahs and elephants. Animals also had less amount of food and day by day the tension between the Army and Zoo rose up. The curator, Mr. Kitao tried to steal food for the army horses for the dear elephants. At the end of August 1945, after the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan was destroyed completely.

The  process of democratization, Japan had children's parliaments everywhere. Children of Tokyo had voiced that they wanted an elephant in the Tokyo Zoo! They learnt that they can see two elephants who survived in the wartime are still living in Nagoya. So, they went and pleaded to give them an elephant! But the elephant was too weak and thin to be shifted! One of children cried out....

The officials of Japan Railway got to know that children of Tokyo wanted to see an elephant, so they had arranged the express special train called "The Elephant Train"!

The then Prime Minister, Nehru got to know that children of Japan wanted an elephant having seen letters written by them. Nehru said, "Let's gift a baby elephant, and she shall be called Indira"! Two curators from Mysore had accompanied along with a baby elephant to Japan. On the way, children of Asia traveled with Indira and got on the Peace Elephant Train....

Bornfree Art School will present "Zou Resha-Elephant Train" in February 2011. It will be the puppet show with the style of contemporary dance, jazz, ballet, Indian classical dance and kalaripayattu (Indian martial arts) combined with gymnastic techniques performed by the professional and amatuer dancers, musicians, street and working children.

This is a collaborative production with Aichi Chorus for Children's Happiness and Peace, Nagoya. Mr. Fujimura and Ms. Yamaguchi along with other three members had visited us and helped John Devaraj conceptualize the Zou Resha in November 2010. Today it is the 1st day of music recording where more than 20 musicians have gathered.

We have musicians whose names are; John Devaraj, Iva from Chez Republic, Shilpa Kothakota, Arun Shiva G, Maria Ralph D, Ramachandran S, D. Charles, Steffie S.M.G, Alan B Rego, Endilong Longlongkumer, S. Sreejith, 5 children from the Bornfree.

We are looking forward to taking this production forward all over in India, Japan and Europe. Photos; http://picasaweb.google.com/bornfreeart/ZouResha#


Thursday, December 9, 2010

Screening at Suchitra Film Society~18th December 2010

The Bornfree Art School 
in Collaboration with
Suchitra Film Society and Suchitra Balajagat
 presents 
Ananda ~ an Ode to Joy Haaku Lagge ~Santhoskakke
on Saturday the 18th December 2010, at 3 pm


at the Suchitra Film Society, 
36 BV Karanth Road,9th main, Banashankari, 2nd stage, Bangalore

Looking forward to your participation in taking the campaign forward.


Ananda~ an Ode to joy
Directed by John Devaraj is a full length Kannada feature film produced and performed by freed working children of the Bornfree Art School. It profiles the lives of 20 children with over 500 child actors in it. A hundred birds and animals have lent their voices to create Ananda. The film has been shot in guerrilla style combining documentary and reenacting personal histories. Ananda raises a critical question of the issue of 134 million working children in India. Poverty and Illiteracy directly related to the defense and military expenses of India. Do we need the ‘Ahimsa’ of Mahatma Gandhi or the ‘Himsa’ of a war culture?  
Does India needs Pens or Guns? 
‘Ananda’ is aimed at the children and youth, as those who will bring about the urgently needed social transformation to produce a culture of peace against the dominant war culture of the world, which shamelessly toils  246 million children.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Children's Ode to Joy~the First Screening in India

One day before Children's Day, Ananda~an ode to joy has been released in India, having awaited eagerly. It was one-year long work by John Devaraj, who has directed the future film, focusing on peace and war culture through the issue of child labour. The 20 Bornfree kids have enacted their own life history. Above 30 media has come to report about the film and voice out their experiences. Many of the BF children have not seen the complete movie and finally they watched! They have enjoyed every scene that they saw. Kiran, 15 says the best part is the whole part.. We have also exhibited series of photographs of all scenes taken by Frida Shanthi. Frida says that first time she has felt that she was an artist, having seen her own photographs exhibited.Venkatesh says that he likes the scene where Durga is sharing a small amount of food with street children. Gowri says that she likes that Gayathri acts as her mother, who dies from the suffering of giving a birth to Gowri. Anand says that he learned a lot from the process of making a film and appreciates that all children acted so well. He also says that we all should keep on dreaming and acting.

On the 14th, November, we had the first public screening at Ragigudda Slum, J.P. Nagar with 200 slum residents. Ragi Gudda was the location where this film was shot at the very beginning. The Ragi Gudda is a very famous slum in Bangalore where the agitation by the residents have been set on fire when the Government tried to force them to leave their homes. Anand, Subramani and Murgesh come from this slum. The scene where Anand's father beats his child and wife has been shot in Anand's house and in this slum.


The Bornfree is now all set to screen this film wherever possible. Please do let us know if you are interested in screening this film in your premises; colleges, schools, cooperates, etc. Contact us by email; mioinakayama@bornfreeart.org or phone; 9886011830/9886306366. The film is to raise a question whether we want a gun or pen.....

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Ananda~Press Conference~the first release of the film in India

We are pleased to announce that a biographical film about working and street children called "Ananda~an Ode to Joy" will be ever first released here in Bangalore. Children of the Bornfree will be present at the conference to talk about the film experiences and wishes about children of India before India Children's Day. Come and join us.

Date; 13th November, 2010
Time; 10:30 am onwards~
Venue: the Renukamba Theater, 18th Cross Malleswaram




Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ananda~an Ode to Joy~Screening in Hiroshima

Ananda~an ode to Joy will be screened in Hiroshima.

Ananda~an Ode to Joy is a non-fiction biographical movie about working children, acted by former working and street children of Bornfree Art School. Anand is a boy who wishes to study, but his father forces him to work. He drops out of the school, starts roaming on the streets. Out of hunger, he steals bread, money, fianlly BULLETS from the factory! He is arrested by the police, but he qeustions "I have stolen bullets out of hunger, and i am called a robber! But listen, who on this earth is the most guilty of producing guns and bullets and make money?" His journey starts with this question.............Guns vs Pens. Come and watch it! Details; mioinakayama.blogspot.com

Time: 12, September 2010 at Shinshyugakuryou, Nishiku Hiroshima
        13:00~16:30

Ananda will be screened in India on the 14th of November 2010 for the first time.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Show red card to child labour on you tube

Dear friend
Bornfree Art school 
appeals to 
Show Red card to child labour
watch and pass on our latest just a minute film 
Show red card to child on youtube, watch it and pass it on!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Show Red Card to Child Labour



Show Red card to Child labour
11th June~11th July 2010

This is the time when the world’s greatest sporting cultural spectacle will take place. The World Football Cup~FIFA will begin from the 11th June 2010 at Johannesburg, South Africa. Whereas the world is paying the highest attention to the fever of football matches, tinny hands are still used to stitch footballs. While there are existing laws for the prevention of child labour, its impact and control has yet to be seen. That is because civil society has not accepted child labour as crime. The FIFA and football provides the necessary condition for the urgently needed campaign impetus. Hence, we have conceived the idea of conducting Show Red Card to Child Labour Football Tournament as a parallax to the FIFA World Cup days.

Who is organizing?
The Bornfree Art School is organizing this campaign. The BF is a movement for the liberation of working children from toil. We have done the History Expedition to record the history of working children, wrote the Worlds Largest Love Letter to children of Pakistan in 2006. We undertook the Peacebycycle, cycling 2800kms from Bangalore to the Wagha Border, collecting 7000 peace messages from Indian children to the children of Pakistan. The Bornfree Football Club, which is consisted of street and working children, will initiate and organize the RED CARD tournament


What is gonna happen?
11th June; Inauguration at the same time of the first football match of the FIFA World Cup. There will be a dream parade of children with masks and puppets on the theme of celebrating childhood {Liberation Parade}.

12th June; International Day against Child Labour;
Starting with a procession from Bal Bhavan to Kanteerava Stadium, football match, film screening, cultural events and Children’s Parliament will be organized. Debate on the issue of child labor, implementation on the RIGHT TO EDUCATION. Invitations are open to school children, youth, educationist, journalists, and more.

11th June to 11th July; Football Tournament
The tournament will be conducted in the North ~South ~West ~ East school play grounds in the city in the preliminary league rounds, in order to wide spread the campaign against child labour. The final knockout will take place in the Bangalore Central District. All teams are invited.

1st to 30th June; Cultural Festivals; Call for Participation
Invitations are open to school children, youth, all artists to express and exhibit on the theme of child labour under the below sections of arts. Deadline is 30th of June. The results will be announced on the 11th of July at the Closing Ceremony. Each winner will be given awards and mementos.

1.Film Festival; John Abraham Award for the best video film / Shafi Syed Award for best documentary                                                      
2.Sculpture and Painting Festival; Child of Michael Angelo award for best sculptor /
   Kathe Kollwitz award for best painter
3.Photography Festival; La Frida Bornfree Award for best photographer
4.Dace Festival; Marta Graham award for best group / Pina Bosch award for best story
5.Song / Music Festival; Bob Marley award for best band / Michel Jackson for best individual performance.                                        
6.Mime Festival; Sir Charles Chaplin award for best group / Marcel Marceau award for best individual actor
7.Essay and Poetry Festival; Anna Frank Award for best literary work

11th July; Closing Ceremony; this one-month match is going to be closed along with the global campaign called One GOAL final match. Works of winners of each festival will be displayed / performed / screened. 

To participate....
Please contact us for more details by 
Email; bornfreeart@gmail.com, johndevaraj@gmail.com, narendranathv@gmail.com, sandeepviswanaath@gmail.com mioinakayama@gmail.com
Phones; 9886306366, 9886011830, 9740128128, 08022183275

http://www.bornfreeart.org, http://bornfreeart.blogspot.com





Sunday, March 14, 2010

Ananda Promotion Film on Youtube


Dear friends.
We filmed Ananda~ An ode to joy
It became a story of stories profiling working children  how they come into i, how they got liberated.
It has been a powerful experience with over 300 child actors give their best talent. It was filmed in a complete Guerilla combat style with a camera. It recorded truthfully the trials and tribulations of toiling struggling children. Twenty of the Bornfree children have been profiled with their true life stories. We are now in the processes of editing and making post production work. We started making Ananda as we hada powerful story to tell  and not because we had the funds to make a film. But we are challenged by the lack of Money to complete. It is not so hopeless because we believe in processes of peoples participation in the making of it. And we believe you will support the making of Ananda and become a co producer of Joy
Ananda will be made in a 35mm format in  Kannada, Tamil,  English and Japanese We have to complete the making of it 
We  need another 600 000Indian Rupees/  15 00 000 yen/ 10 000 Euros

Each print will cost Rs 100  000 X 4 versions      Rs 400 000.
 Editing costs                                                   Rs  30 000. 
 Dubbing Posting music                                     Rs  30 000
 Printing and publicity                                        Rs  25 000 
Film registration fees                                         Rs  50 000 
Postal and shipment costs , festival entry fees,   Rs  25 000
honorarium and food for technicians                    Rs 40 000
Total                                                              Rs 6 00 000 

                                 
Ananda is scheduled to be released on the 6th of August 2010.
Please view the trailer and forward it to your friends and those who want the liberation of 
toiling children of the world. 
 
See the trailer on the youtube.
Here below is the story of the film
A  n  a  n  d  a
a biographical film on  street kids.
Story. Screenplay Music Cinematography
John Devaraj

Ananda is a biographical work on street kids. Ananda, having been sent out of school worked as a tender coconut chopper forced into this job by his drunken father. Unable to do his homework, he is battered by his teacher. He runs away from school. Joins a bar and restaurant, learns drinking and smoking from his adult customers.

He sees his father among all the drunks; one day he smashes a glass of alcohol on the ground gets kicked out of his job. As he is walking away, he sees a petty shop, He looks at the sweets and is going for it when he sees the cash box open. He grabs as much change as he can, when the man shouts “thief, thief…”, he runs and runs but gets caught. He is jailed. He becomes a confirmed thief. When released, he meets a gang of street kids, and they share their histories.
Ananda has now a veteran of many thefts spots a box n the compound. of a small auxiliary production shed He sneaks to the sleeping security man .Grabs and runs He is chased by the security who then calls the police Ananda puts the box down and examines it, They are real empty brass bullet shells meant for guns It was an auxiliary unit of an ammunition factory
Ananda sells the bullets for its brass value As he walks across a grave yard, a rival gang bashes him up and grabs all his money.  He is subsequently arrested.
When he comes out of the jail Ananda realizes crime does not pay. He tries to change his friends through dance, art music. He changes fist fighting feuds to artistic challenges, dancing, sports, drumming, stilt walking, painting, rock climbing. Soon a beautiful culture of freedom and liberation is discovered. As they are moving on in life, they meet a sculptor who is turning a stone into a beautiful figure of art. He exposes them to Art and a philosophy of the world. He helps them to think and makes them see the world better.

They are now cycling and enjoying a new found freedom and they are seeing places. On Republic Day, 26th January, they visit a air show of the Nation. They joining the thronging thousands and shocked to see a whole lot of guns, war planes, blatant display of killing instruments.. The scene in frightening! Bullets and missiles and every shape and size ready to kill. Half a million people are applauding and cheering the thrilling flying machines.

They are angry. As the planes go up and down, they are catching them in the sky and breaking them.
There is flashback of their lives. The scene is frightening. Bullets and missiles and every shape and size ready to kill. Half a million people are applauding and cheering the thrilling flying machines They want to change this!  No money for schools, all the money for war.
 As they return they stop near a factory and workers agitating for better wages It is a spring factory making springs for AK47 guns. A young trade union woman leader is talking about war and welfare, Education against war, guns versus butter. She is talking about globalization, the impact on the climate the energy spent on human destruction Ananda is listening intently and is motivated . Ananda gets on top of the wall and makes a passionate speech He demands  Tell me friends “Who is the greater criminal is it  me that stole empty bullet shells for its brass value for my empty stomach  or those make real killing instruments, the merchants of death; fill their purses with money by the killing of innocent children? As they are walking down a Botanical garden they see a young woman making dance movements. They are awed with her movement they befriend her and learn that she is from Hiroshima. They appeal to her to teach them dancing. She shares her experience of being from Hiroshima the historic city where the first atom bomb was dropped. They are taken on an intense and deep  journey of the effects and aftermath of a nuclear war. They go into a trance of war coming out of it very
Determined to change it. They decide to free all working children from toil. They want to express this  Art music and Dance. To produce  a culture of liberation. The Bornfree Art school is born free!
And they become talented Artists. Painters dancers mathematicians yearning for knowledge and a new found freedom Students Gaja has become a Gymnast. Santhosh is Moon walking with his horse, Prashanth is drumming .Kiran is sculpting
Ananda and Durga are dancing to Beethoven’s 9th symphony  Ode to Joy.

The Making of Ananda
The Bornfree Art school is producing the film through a cooperative ventureof small contributions from Children, Youth and people who believe in the cause of Children’s Liberation. They are  the Co producers..Money of a big producer determine the way a film has tobe made  Here we will decide to speak the truth without compromise.
The film has been  made on a HDV format, a reverse tele cine { RTC} conversion made in 35 mm film format for purpose of showing in cinema houses and festivals.


If a Six hundred friends could contribute 10 Euros the film can be completed.
We appeal for your support.

Contributions by Cheque  in India to the Artists United or Gondwanaland Foundation.
21 2nd cross GH Layout 3rd Block East Jayanagar Bangalore 560011
International contributions by bank transfer to
Mioi Nakayama, Citibank Shibuya Branch, Japan Acc number 5285647
Looking forward to your support

mionakayama@gmail,com 9886011830
and the children of Bornfree Art school ~www.bornfreeart.orgbornfreeart@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The New Trust

Dear Friends,

Hi. It's been a long time to update the Blog. Sorry for the long silence! I will keep updating from now on! Here is a news about the change at the Bornfree. The trust for the Bornfree Art School is now reorganized; it is registered under the Karnataka Society Act and here are the new members of the Trust.



0. John Devaraj ( Life Trustee), Artistic Director of the Bornfree Art School
1. Dr. Narendranath V; Joint Medical Director, M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital
2. Dr. Ravi Gopal Varma, Professor and Head; Department of Neuro Surgery, M.S. Ramaiah Medical College and Hospitals
3. S.R Sindia; Director of Sindia Swimming School
4. Fr. Melvin Pinto, S.J,; Headmaster St. Aloysius High School
5. Anantha, Artist
6. Sandeep V, Film Maker
7. Saravana Dhanapal, Artist
8. Swamy Mahamane, Artist
9. Maria Ralph, Artist
10. Aditya Mendonca, Student
11. Binndiya; Entrepreneur, Trainer and Writer
12. Parmesh, Headmaster of Banjarapalya Government School
13. Pooja Hegde, Artist
14. Arun Shiva G, Artist 



As is now, there are 14 members who are officially committed as trustee members. 


There are two levels of the Trust in the Bornfree; one is the above indicated, which consists of people from various social sectors. Another level is the committee which is consisted by young people who come from the working, street and bonded labour background, i.e. students of the Bornfree. They are the real actors who need to take up the Bornfree Movement. They are; 

1. Sanjana Juanita D
2. La Frida Shanthi
3. Gayathri Verona
4. Gowri Gazella
5. Prashanth R
6. Anand Dhanakoti
7. Santosh
8. Subramani Dhanakoti