在 Netflix 四集纪录片《孤山花园》中，五位来自印度最贫困地区的女孩的生涯被记录下来。这些女孩，在14年免费学习（包括2年学前和12年）的一个名为 Shanti Bhavan 的住宿学校中，成长。这所学校是由一位美籍印度商人创立的，他在1997年 decided to return to India and build a school for the poorest families at the age of 49.
The filming spanned eight to nine years, with some children being followed from pre-school through high school, while others were followed from elementary school to their entry into the workforce. The school's mission is to provide these children with an opportunity for free education and a responsibility: to help their families and communities once they enter the workforce instead of abandoning them upon graduation.
The growth of these children was marked by constant struggle, as they navigated between safe and stable schools and impoverished family environments while grappling with modern values and traditional Indian values, ultimately shaping independent selves. While education is free for these families, the belief that their children can help improve their lives 14 years later (or even up to 17 years, including three years of college, which is also paid by this school) is a long-term investment.
Though India is poor and marred by inequality and various mind-boggling customs (for instance, one girl's grandmother has been waiting for her to marry her son, i.e., the girl's uncle, because she received an opportunity for education. However, due to her education, she refused her grandmother's request and is now a journalist who has written a book), there are individuals in India who can focus on establishing schools like this one without worrying about finances or other constraints, allowing these children's education to proceed uninterrupted. This school offers co-education, but the camera focuses on the girls because they face not only discrimination based on their caste, but also gender inequality.
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