I recently finished editing and co-producing “Discovering: Shuktara.” The 30-minute film profiles a home in Kolkata, India for deaf and disabled boys and girls. The directors of the film, Christy Smith and David Justice, were on a trip around the world to film deaf communities, and were told about Shuktara from a mutual friend.
In 2007 I visited Kolkata for the first time and did a ton of filming for a humanitarian aid organization called “Shadhika.” Shadhika funds NGOs and projects that focus on the rights of women and children. I filmed five of their projects over the course of ten days. You can see the results here:
http://vimeo.com/channel8283
I met Alison Saracena, the director and co-founder of Uddami Computer Center during that 2007 trip and we became fast friends. We kept in touch over the course of the next year, and so when the chance for me to go back to do a film of my own in Jan. 2008, I went and stayed with Alison.
Christy & Dave had been “discovered” by Alison, as she is good friends with the mane who founded Shuktara (are you terribly confused yet…????). She told them about him and about the home and when they came to Kolkata, they fell in love with the kids in the home and filmed them over five weeks. “Discovering: Shuktara” is the result of that discovery.
I’m very proud of this film, and what it can do, so when it’s available I hope you all will check it out. 
To borrow a phrase from Christy, thanks for doing what you do – and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
-Alexia
