Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children
(90 minutes) Zimbabwe

Director: Jezza Neumann
Producer: Xoliswa Sithole

Description:
Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children tells the story of three children trying to survive in Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, a country that was once the jewel of Africa but where the infrastructure is now in terminal collapse. Grace, Esther and Obert show us how they not only struggle to put food in their mouths, but also desperately seek the money they need to pay next term’s school fees. Twelve-year-old Grace rummages through rubbish dumps in Harare to find bones to sell. Nine-year-old Esther must care for her baby sister, and her mother who is dying of HIV/AIDS. Thirteen-year-old Obert pans for gold to make enough money to buy food for himself and his grandmother, while dreaming of somehow getting the education he craves.

Biography:
Born in Melbourne, Australia and schooled in the UK, Jezza Neumann then went to a college of higher education to study business studies.  His career in the television industry started with a job working as a runner for Catalyst Television on the Chelsea Flower Show for BBC 2. After various jobs with various companies he progressed from runner to production manager and in January 1996 joined True Vision Productions as production manager. Having a passion for stills photography he took a keen interest in camera work and editing and over the years he honed his skills in those areas.  His first broadcast filming opportunity came with the True Vision film, Eyes of Child.  Since cutting his teeth on that production he hasn’t looked back, working under the guidance of multi Emmy and BAFTA-winning director Brian Woods. China’s Stolen Children was his first film as director, and won three British Academy Awards.

Contact Information:
True Vision Productions
E-mail: niki@truevisiontv.com
Web site: www.truevisiontv.com/films/details/65/zimbabwes-forgotten-children