Documentary 'When Home is the Street' to Debut in US: Film chronicles hardships of youth living on the streets in Brazil and Mexico

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reintegrating street children and youth into society requires deep and consistent love and compassion, both to help them escape poverty and to allow them to let go of feelings that they are unloved and unwanted. A new film documents this delicate transformation through stories of young people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Guadalajara, Mexico.

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The 35-minute documentary was funded by the Fetzer Institute in partnership with the International Center for the Study and Research on Children (CIESPI) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and CODENI, a children's rights collective in Guadalajara, Mexico. Produced by award-winning Brazilian filmmaker Thereza Jessouroun "When Home Is the Street" makes its US debut with screenings at Boston College's Robsham Theater January 28 and at New York City's Helen Mills Theater January 29. Both screenings are free and open to the public and begin at 6:30 pm. More information on this effort and a trailer of the video can be found at this link.

"Brazil has many challenges in its education system," said Irene Rizzini, director of CIESPI. "One of the greatest concerns is providing education to vulnerable children and youth. Street children are most often outside any education system."