Maid for Sale
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In the early 2000s, with a population of about four million in Lebanon, over 100,000 people were said to be international migrant workers of Sri Lankan origin. Most of these workers were women who work as housekeepers for Lebanese families. In order to pay off family debts or help their families, many of these women came from rural areas and left their families and children behind. Most of the time, they found themselves in a situation worse than back home, deprived of their passports, locked up in houses, working for countless hours...all this for roughly 100 dollars a month!
Sashika, Janika, and Anne-Rita are three women, going through the experience and telling us about it from the bottom of the heart. Three stories that intertwine, marked by the sending of letters back home, the swallowed tears upon departure, the long years of waiting and suffering, and the uncertain return home.
Maid for Sale tells their stories.
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Gramasevake « MAID FOR SALE »
English Version
Full continuity dialogues with TC for subtitles
1 P L Beirut-Sunset
2 P L Intre-Kitchen – Janika works & exit right frame.
TC : 10 01 04 11
Dima V.O : « For years now I have entered houses where women seemed to be part of the furniture, especially in kitchens. »
TC : 10 01 12 12
Dima V.O : « I spent years watching these tiny hands cutting vegetables, ironing clothes, dusting houses… »
3 P L Janika Balcony arranging vegetables.
TC : 10 01 18 24
Dima V.O : « …watching the lady of the house's compulsive need for cleanliness. »
4 G P Knife cleaning.
5 G P Janika
6 P M Janika fridge
7 G P Tomate coupe
TC : 10 01 35 20
Dima V. off : « What do you miss the most from Sri Lanka here ? »
TC : 10 01 38 22
Janika : « All the time I spend working here, I think about my country.
My heart is with my daughter and my husband. »
8 P M Janika Kitchen – cutting tomatoes
TC : 10 01 48 00
(in) J : « Madam always asks me : " Where are your thoughts? "
I tell her in Sri Lanka. Although I am here, for more than three years I have cried for my daughter. »
9 P M Janika milk. Pano towrads the pan.
TC : 10 02 10 20
Madame : « You let the milk boil over ? ».
TC : 10 02 17 05
Janika : « A little. »
10 P M Janica & Madame, she carresses her pearls neckless.
TC : 10 02 20 00
Madame : « Now she knows the prayers, she repeats the Ave Maria. »
TC : 10 02 26 00
Dima : « Go on, say it.»
TC : 10 02 29 00
Janika : « No ! »
TC : 10 02 29 30
Dima : « Come on ! »
TC : 10 02 30 02
Madame : « Why not ? Go on ! I will begin. »
11 Top shot Janika goes down the stairs
12 G P Janika :
TC : 10 02 38 00
« My name is Janika Shiromika, I’m 32, my country is Sri Lanka,
I come from Madampe and work in Lebanon as a housemaid. »
13 P M Janika hugs Madame.
TC : 10 02 53 16
Madame : « May God be with you… Call me. I will call you in Beirut. »
TC : 10 03 03 04
Neighbhor : « Do not forget to call Madame. »
TC : 10 03 05 06
Madame : « Come on, stop ! That's enough ! »
14 Another maid peeling gralic.
TC : 10 03 11 05
Off Madame : « You are good. Jesus is with you, Virgin Mary too. »
15 P M Janika & Madame hug.
TC : 10 03 15 00
Madame : « Take care of your husband, and your daughter. »
16 Janika takes bag
TC : 10 03 20 00
Dima : « You will carry it all by yourself ? »
17 Dima takes grapes bag and leaves..
18 Monsieur plays le luth, Janika et Dima dance in kitchen.
19 Travelling G Paysage Montagne P L (Music off).
20 Travelling G P Paysage
21 Travelling G P landscape
22 Fade cross to ocean , coconuts Sri Lanka
TC : 10 04 32 10
V.O Dima : « In a remote part of Asia, at the heart of the Indian Ocean, Ceylan, the island that exports new slaves. To understand, i went to looked for them…. From the moment I arrived many have tried to stop me from meeting these silent women… the maids... »
23 P L village kitchen (Nishanté)
24 P L room balançoire Bébé (Nishanté)
25 P L travelling Soysa arrives on moto meets Nishanté.
TC : 10 05 44 12
V.O Dima : « Soysa, the recruiter, is making inquiries from the village's undertakers. He is looking for the poorest of them, the women who will not be able to pay for the burial of their loved ones. ».
26 Pan close up Nishanté from hands to face .
TC : 10 05 58 06
Soysa off : « Your name? ».
TC : 10 05 59 00
N : « Nichanti Rajapakse ».
27 G P Soysa’s hands on contract.
TC : 10 06 04 00
S : « Who will take care of your child when you are away ? »
TC : 10 06 08 00
N : « My mother ».
28 P M 2 shots Soysa + Nichanté
29 G P Nichanté’s hands signes contract.
TC : 10 06 19 13
V.O Dima : « From this moment Nichanti becomes a maid… like all the women who left before her. From this moment she will not be able to break the contract. Unless she pays 15.000 Roupies, ten times her monthly wages in Sri Lanka… »
30 P L Nichanti & he rbaby in front of hut.
31 P M Soysa against his moto – ITV
TC : 10 06 41 08
Soysa : « I make my enquiries of "Gramasevake", the village undertaker's association. I’m looking for the poorest farmers' wives… »
32 Travelling latéral Soysa on moto
TC : 10 07 00 10
off Soysa : « The association lends them money for the burial expenses. »
33 P Soysa ITV
TC : 10 07 13 16
Soysa : « My commission is around 75 Euros – 25 Euros are spent on their passport, their medical tests, transportation and photos, and the rest is for me. »
34 Travelling G latéral trees and city
35 P L bouddhist priest, Sashika enters and neals on his feet.
36 P P Sashika touches priest’s feet and leaves. G C
37 G P Sashika presnets herself :
TC : 10 07 52 10
S : « My name is Sashika Kumari. My town is Uyanpalla, I am 20, my country is Sri Lanka. I am going to Lebanon to be a housemaid.. »
38 P L Pano G D Training Center
39 G P Shashika listenning to prof.
40 P L Sashika stands up and greets the prof
TC : 10 08 20 02
Prof : « You should be polite, when we salute you "Salam alekum", you reply back "Wa alekum Salam. »
41 P L girls kitchen training – Sashika approaches and light up fire.
TC : 10 08 27 07
Prof : « Who want to try ? Turn it off first ! »
42 P L Sashika & Jaywardena pray for Boudha.
43 G P hands of Jaywardena takes mud and drops them.
TC : 10 09 10 00
Voix-off J : « My wife is leaving, I will wait for her. I will take care of our baby during these 2 years. »
44 G P Jaywardena ITV
TC : 10 09 18 17
J : « I borrowed money for the house. The brick-making brings in 250 Roupies a day (2 Euros). Not even 100 are saved, it is not enough. »
45 P L Jaywardena put bricks brique & leaves.
46 P L Sashika’s house + Bébé
47 G P Baby, pan up to Sashika
48 P L Sashika enters and puts her baby in the hamac.
49 P P Shashika cries.
TC : 10 10 21 22
Sashika : « I am sad to leave my child, but I have no choice, because of our debts. »
50 P L Temple night , candles voix-off priest prayers
51 G P main allume mèche. voix-off priest prayers
52 Temple interior Pano towards a woman praying with a lotus. old couple zoom. voix-off priest prayers
53 G P Lotus + woman praying + voix-off priest prayers
54 P M priest praying.
55 P L tree temple-night
56 Pano G D forest
57 P L train enters city d c
58 P L Top shot Colombo beach.
59 G P hand signs, Pan faces. Cajunut girls sellers.
60 G P Hips+ Cajunuts
61 P L street girl selling cajunuts
62 P L street bus passs (cache)
63 Board « Rizviya travels »
64 Board « Town recrutment »
65 Board« Manpower consultant »
66 Board « Abha Power »
67 Billboard« Afra »
68 P M rue Sashika & husband arrive towards caméra
69 Board « ACURA »
70 P M Sashika & husband with secrétairy
TC : 10 13 19 00
Secrétaire : « You can sign here. This is is your work permit with your name : Sashika. OK ? … Sign here. »
71 G P File son shelves-Lebanon – a hand takes one
72 G P Shashika listens and smles
TC : 10 13 43 19
Secrétairy : « It will be very hard in the beginning, but you musn’t get depressed, because you are going there to earn money. »
73 P L Janika arrives in sari towards caméra.
74 P M Janika ITV
TC : 10 14 18 13
J : « I am so happy, I can't tell you how much. Very much. My daughter has grown much older.
Dima : She has changed ?
J : Yes, she has changed a lot, when I left she was 5 and a half… »
75 P L Field + coconut
TC : 10 14 38 00
Voix-off J : « Now I come back and my daughter is 10 years old. She is a big girl. »
76 P P Janika ITV
TC : 10 14 46 04
Dima off : « How many hours a day did you work ? »
TC : 10 14 51 11
J : « I would start at 6 AM, I would work until the afternoon, with no break. Around 4 PM sometimes 5 PM I would stop for an hour, but I also took Madame's mother for a walk. Then I would start fixing dinner. At night I would finish around 10.30 or 11 AM. »
77 P L boy with clothes hanging
TC : 10 15 34 13
Dima off : « The man was nice. In the last year he gave you 130 € a month, right ? »
TC : 10 15 38 00
J : « 135 € »
TC : 10 15 40 00
D : « If I tell you some people want you for 160 € ? »
78 P P Janika ITV
TC : 10 15 45 00
Dima : Would you go back ?
TC : 10 15 46 01
J : « No »
TC : 10 15 47 00
D : « 300 € »
TC : 10 15 48 16
J : « No »
TC : 10 15 49 00
D : « 400 € »
TC : 10 15 50 17
J : « No »
TC : 10 15 54 01
D : « You would not go back for 1000 € ? »
TC : 10 15 55 00
J : « Not even for 1000 € »
P P Janika
TC : 10 15 58 00
J : « I don’t want to ! ».
TC : 10 16 03 00
D : « 1000 € is a lot ? »
TC : 10 16 07 00
J : « I know»
D : « 1500 € »
J : « No »
79 P P Janika ITV
TC : 10 16 08 00
D : « You mean your daughter is more important than money ? »
TC : 10 16 11 00
J : « I don't want any money, I only want my daughter. »
TC : 10 16 17 00
D : « And the unfinished house… »
TC : 10 16 20 00
J : « It doesn't matter. My husband will finish it now little by little. »
80 G P Bricks
81 P L Janika’s house
82 P M Janika behind iron gate
TC : 10 16 30 00
D : « You regret the 5 years you spent in Lebanon ? »
83 PL school girls and daughter
TC : 10 16 36 00
J : « I made a big mistake when I left my daughter.
It upsets me a lot. »
84 P L Janika & daughter on bycicle
TC : 10 16 40 00
J off : « I don't ever want to leave her again. »
85 G P Dushni ITV ( Janika’s daughter)
TC : 10 17 03 23
D : « I don't want my mum to leave again.»
86 G P Janika’s hands + daughter
TC : 10 17 11 00
Voix-off fille : « When my mum was away, I always asked where she was. »
87 G P Dushami ITV
TC : 10 17 17 00
Voix-off fille : « When my mum was away, I always asked where she was. »
88 Janika close looks at her daughter then outside.
89 Back Travelling , farewell Janika and family – (Musique)
90 P L Colombo beach
91 P M : umbrella - lovers
92 P L Banc 3 personnes Face Océan
93 P L Tours Colombo + beach
94 P L Interior Acura’s offices
TC : 10 18 17 10
Suraj off : « Then if I go to talk about the negative aspects… »
95 P M Suraj ITV
TC : 10 18 17 20
Suraj : « specially the housemaids. They are really underprepared. Before they go, they don’t know what they are getting into. And also the children, specially the Srilanka culture you are very closely, need family. »
96 P L Pano G D Training Center. Girls in apron.
TC : 10 18 37 00
Suraj off : « And the mother place important role in the day to day life of the children. So once the mother goes, the all family breaks down, the men slip in debauchery… »
97 G P chickent + girls apron watching
TC : 10 18 53 00
Suraj off : « … And the children they don’t educate themsleves properly. And once they come back, the all family is toning to pieces. You know every recruiting agent in the middle east or in Sri lanka, they only worried … »
98 G P close up aprons +girls
TC : 10 19 10 00
Suraj off : « … about the money aspect of them. »
99 P P Suraj ITV
TC : 10 19 13 00
Suraj : « Nobody is worried about the human aspect. There are two parties involved, the employer who spents lot of money and also the housemaid who leaves… »
100 G P Pano on girls feets barefoot
TC : 10 19 24 00
Suraj off : « … every body here and go».
101 G P Pano from girls to aprons
TC : 10 19 40 00
Suraj off : « I think it’s a phenomenon in the all world. We must understand… »
102 P P Suraj ITV
TC : 10 19 45 05
Suraj : « …This housemaid lives with you, she cleans your toilets, she brings you tea, she does everything in the house, she has no working hours and she is a fully part of your life, she looks after children. You know all this people will go and spend thousand of dollars for food but sometimes they don’t want to pay this poor housemaid 100 $ salary. »
103 Pano girls :
TC : 10 20 18 18
Dima off : « Can I ask you a question ? If i tell you i take you out of your country, make you work 18 hours a day, pay you 100 $ a month, take you passport away and lock you in, what would you call this ?»
104 P M Suraj ITV
TC : 10 20 33 06
Suraj : «…. This is slavery. This has to be denounced. This is barbaric. This can’t be tolerated. »
105 P L Sashika in the train
106 P L Travelling landscape
107 G P Sashika cries
TC : 10 21 07 10
Dima V.O : « Sashika can no longer count her tears, Sashika can no longer count her sighs, Forced to go, Forced to be apart, exiled, and to her destiny of a maid. »
108 P M Sashika and her husband at airport fairewell. She leaves.
109 P M Sashika in Tunnel towards caméra. Travelling arrière, she cries.
110 G P Sashika’s husband behind iron gate
111 P M Sashika intérieur bus crying, bus leaves
TC : 10 22 47 00
Dima V.O : « Complete silence, Sashika holds back her tears.… »
112 GP Sashika plane.
TC : 10 22 51 00
Dima V.O : « Complete silence, She will no longer see him !
Sashika is already on the other side. »
113 Window plane, Beirut night
TC : 10 23 07 08
Dima V.O : « She takes a step towards the other world… A world who he does not belong. »
114 P M Sashika airport corridor
TC : 10 23 11 00
Dima V.O : « He will take care of their baby and content himself with her letters, soaking nostalgia and sorrow. »
115 P L Hall Aéroport board (maid’s waiting area)
116 G P board (maid’s waiting area)
117 P L Pan D G from the sea to Beyrouth-city
118 Rapp buildings and city
119 G P board maids drawing
120 Board (Ethiopia service)
121 Board « MAids for homes, Srilankaises, Philippines »
122 Board « Ethiopia services, maids for homes »
123 P L Board « Recrutement Bonnes »
124 P L Board « Ayad For services- maids from all over the world »
125 P L Intérieur Ayad’s office boss + secrétairy
126 G P secrétairy
TC : 10 24 31 04
Off client : « Is the request for a Filipino or a Sri-Lankan ? »
TC : 10 24 33 20
Secrétaire : « Your wife asked for a Filipino. »
127 G P client
TC : 10 24 44 00
Client : « Oh ! I will fax you a copy of my identity card. »
128 P M Recruter Mme Ayad (Nada AYAD)
TC : 10 24 47 05
Mme Ayad : « I receive a detailed form for every housemaid in Sri-Lanka, with her picture, her age, her social status, her height and weight, all the necessary details for the client. I receive them by DHL and the client comes to my office. If he wants a housemaid, I show him the forms and he chooses the maid that suits him best. »
129 G P Forms maids
TC : 10 25 13 22
V-off Mme Ayad : « We get the visa for the maid, the agreement from the Sri-Lankan embassy in Lebanon, we send the visa by fax, we transfer the money. The most important thing the housemaids should be taught is not how to make coffe or clean the house. »
130 P P Mme Ayad
TC : 10 25 32 15
Mme Ayad : « They should prepare her by telling her she will be exiled, far from her children and tell her it will be very hard at first but she will get used to it. Upon her arrival here she can not ask to go back to her country because she has cost too much money already to come here, too many formalities, visa and working hours. There are people who are waiting for her. They should prepare her psychologically. Tell her she will live in exile and have to endure it. »
131 P M Maître Tawk ITV (lawyer)
TC : 10 25 58 09
M Tawk : « As soon as she arrives in Lebanon, they take her passport from her… First thing, they take it away from her ! Then they begin by depriving her of her identity. She no longer has a name. »
132 3 shots maids street
TC : 10 26 16 21
M Tawk off : « As soon as she arrives there is a tremendous shock, even if her employer is nice.»
133 M Tawk ITV :
TC : 10 26 20 15
M Tawk : « Add to that the fact that they lock the house. They lock her up. Why ? Because they gave the agency 1 to 1 thousand 5 hundred euros as a deposit to get the housemaid to Lebanon. They fear for their investment… »
134 Contre-plongée maid on balcony
TC : 10 26 40 14
M Tawk off : « They lock her up, cut her off from the outside world. »
135 maid 2 au Balcony
136 Pan up 3 maids balcony
137 G P article newspaper « Nour » (Special offer. Maids all religions.»)
138 G P article 2 (« Insurance against runaways »)
139 G P article 3 (« Insurance against runaways »)
140 P L M Tawk street with Ali Harb.
TC : 10 27 10 00
M Tawk : « Salutations ! I brought the whole lot to you. You will be famous. »
TC : 10 27 12 16
Ali : « Both of us »
TC : 10 27 14 21
M Tawk : « Here is Dima, the film director, and her crew… »
141 G P billboard (Lanka restaurant)
142 P M M Tawk et Ali. street
TC : 10 27 27 10
M Tawk : « Don't worry, Ali will tell you everything. He doesn't care. »
TC : 10 27 31 10
Ali : « You know, if it was for fun I would not work here in Daoura or Ring. We have interests, everything is legal, everything is planned. I have three. »
TC : 10 27 38 00
M Tawk : « Three shops. Which is the first one… »
TC : 10 27 40 00
Ali : « A CD shop. A restaurant and a supermarket. »
TC : 10 27 48 00
Dima : « You have a Sri-Lankan restaurant ?»
TC : 10 27 48 40
Ali : « Yes »
TC : 10 27 49 00
Dima : « You have a lot of customers ? »
TC : 10 27 52 00
Ali : « It's OK. There are more people on Sundays. »
TC : 10 27 54 00
M Tawk : « And the other days? »
TC : 10 27 55 00
Ali : « Not so much »
143 G P Ali street of his shop
TC : 10 27 56 00
Ali : « For every housemaid who runs away and comes here I call their employer or their agent. »
TC : 10 28 01 05
M Tawk : « If she comes here who do you send her back to ? The agent or the employer ?
Ali : « To agent or employer. »
144 Intérior grocery Employee-tea bags/ cell ringing
TC : 10 28 08 00
Ali off ( au téléphone portable) : « Now I swear it will be OK. I know you are angry and I am too. »
145 Intérior grocery Srilankaise turns his back
TC : 10 28 19 00
Ali off : « Brother, one more chance, another 2 or 3 hours. Yes, a hundred per cent. »
146 G P Ali talking on the phone street
TC : 10 28 23 18
Ali : « No, brother… no, I am clean. OK, listen, no, brother, give me another day to find a solution. »
147 P M Ali au tél – Pano towards girl enters grocery
TC : 10 28 42 00
Ali : « No, brother, now it's OK. Only today my dear. Only today. That's the business with Sri-Lankans. »
TC : 10 28 48 00
Dima : « What's the problem ? »
TC : 10 28 49 00
Ali : « A housemaid should arrive from Sri-Lanka. »
TC : 10 28 52 00
Dima : « He can't wait ? ».
TC : 10 28 53 00
Ali : « What can you do ? It's a housemaid from Sri-Lanka who is lying. She says she will go to the agency and she doesn't… It's only a Sri-Lankan, you know ! »
148 P P Ali Harb in his restaurant ITV
TC : 10 29 04 00
ALI : « No one chooses any one. »
TC : 10 29 06 20
DIMA : « Excuse me but I was told they could choose their age ? »
TC : 10 29 10 00
ALI : « Only their age, it's like a water melon, it's closed. The agents, like me, receive pictures from Sri-Lanka. Client comes, we show him, he chooses and then it's his own luck. We recruiters we go to Sri-Lanka not to work, only to eat good meals, drink whisky and relax ! »
TC : 10 29 30 10
Dima : « You don't go there to choose the housemaids ? To satisfy you clients ? »
TC : 10 29 31 20
Ali : « Listen, we don't bring artists, we import housemaids ! Where does the maid live ? In a tree, in misery. Once I was in Kandy and they brought 10 women : you couldn't stand the view. They had no shoes, their children either… they were holding their passports in their hands. Lean and tired. If they had enough to eat they would not come to Lebanon. If they could feed their children they would not come to Lebanon.
TC : 10 29 33 50
Dima : Wait a minute !
TC : 10 29 34 00
Ali : « She comes to Lebanon and enters the unknown. It was even worse in the past. Maid arrived in Lebanon and was sold to Syria. She would stay in Syria for 7 years. Just drop them there and leave. A real tragedy. The agent in Sri Lanka would look for them but no one knew where they were. They used to send them away from Beirut, to Turkey, Syria and Italy. They were packed in a sheep barn and were given bread and water to eat, on the border between Lebanon and Syria.
149 P M grocery, employee closes tea bags
TC : 10 30 49 00
Dima : « And what do you do when a maid from your agency who has been raped comes to see you ?
TC : 10 30 51 00
Ali : « I inform the General Security Department. »
150 P P Ali ITV
TC : 10 30 56 00
Ali : « But they won't put a Lebanese into prison because of a Sri-Lankan maid. »
TC : 10 31 05 20
Dima : « They don't put him into jail ? »
TC : 10 31 06 00
Ali : « No. Unless he has killed or burned her ! »
TC : 10 31 06 09
Dima : « But never for raping ? »
TC : 10 31 07 00
Ali : « No. Rapes happen but not very often. »
151 G P Forms Mme Ayad
TC : 10 31 13 00
Dima : « Can you show me Sashika's form ? »
TC : 10 31 18 00
Ayad : « Here it is. Sashika. »
TC : 10 31 20 00
Dima : « Can you give me her description ?»
TC : 10 31 22 00
Ayad : « She is 19, married, one child, she weighs 50 kilos, education level : primary school, first time, has never worked, no former experience abroad. It says she has no work experience. »
152 P L Sashika washing dishes with he rboo controlling
TC : 10 31 37 00
Patronne : « Please, could you tell her to always use hot water. »
TC : 10 31 39 24
Dima (en Sinhalais) : « Sashika ! You must always use hot water.».
TC : 10 31 49 22
Patronne : « Even for a coffee cup I use hot water. »
153 G P Sashika cries
TC : 10 31 57 00
Dima off (en sinhalais) : « Are you alright ? Is Madam kind with you ? So what ? Hachin, your child ? The man is nice with you ? What are you worried about ? Please tell me. »
TC : 10 32 51 23
Sashika : « I miss Sri Lanka. »
154 P M Sashika’s boss
TC : 10 32 57 00
Patronne : « I am the kind of person who can't stand this. I don't like to see people cry for their children. I am emotional, and a mother who has suffered too. »
155 G P Sashika
TC : 10 33 07 00
Dima off : « What is the hardest thing with her now ? »
156 G P boss
TC : 10 33 11 00
Patronne : « Language is a big problem, for both of us. She suffers and we suffer too. I mime things for her, but she does not understand anything. »
157 P M Sashika dishes with boss beside her
TC : 10 33 24 00
Patronne off : « It is like bleach. She could use it accidentally, put some in her eyes or drink it … I am really scared. »
158 P M Sashika and boss at window
TC : 10 33 43 00
Dima off : « There are 100,000 of them now ? »
159 P M Maître Tawk ITV
TC : 10 33 47 00
M Tawk : « Yes, we think there are 100,000 but the official numbers state less since they only consider the maids who have residence and work permits. But there are loads of women who do not renew their papers and stay here illegally. »
TC : 10 34 00 00
Dima : « You mean the free-lancers ?»
TC : 10 34 02 00
M Tawk : « Yes, the free-lancers »
160 P M window shops aprons
161 Pano (Lanka video centre) board towards street
162 Pano D G 3 maids pass
TC : 10 34 17 24
M Tawk off : « They would come and tell me about their problems. They must choose between two ways. »
163 P M Maître Tawk ITV
TC : 10 34 26 09
M Tawk : « The girl must choose… I mean the maid reaches a point when she does no want to stay in Lebanon. She can't take it any more, she's had enough and can not stay here any longer. »
164 P M 2 old maids cross street
TC : 10 34 42 10
M Tawk off : « They come to a place in a dreadful condition. The maid has to choose between two options. »
165 P M Maître Tawk ITV
TC : 10 34 46 24
M Tawk : « Either she wants to leave, or she wants to stay here. In both cases this is a problem. If she wants to go she needs her passport, which has been confiscated by the employer. She needs a plane ticket and has to see if she owes money for her papers. »
166 P L window shop Musiques/CD
TC : 10 35 10 00
Dima off : « The employer will only give her passport back if she pays the deposit ? »
M Tawk off : « Yes, he will give her the passport if she pays. He tells us : I paid 1,000 € to get her, give me the money back and you will get the passport. »
167 P L maid takes taxi
TC : 10 35 20 03
M Tawk off : « The problem gets bigger. She is leaving, now she owes her employer 1,000 €. »
168 P M Maître Tawk ITV
TC : 10 35 27 17
M Tawk : « So she decides to become a free-lancer and for each year spent working in Lebanon she owes 360 € to the Ministry of labour and Security. Taxs for her residence and work permits. »
TC : 10 35 33 17
Dima : « And debts pile up ! »
TC : 10 35 35 00
M Tawk : « Yes. If she stays here for three years you add another 1,000 €. Plus the plane ticket : 300 €. The woman finds herself with a debt of 2,300 €. It is fortune ! »
TC : 10 35 37 00
Dima : « And she earns 2 € an hour. »
169 TC : 10 35 40 05
M Tawk : « If she can not afford it we start looking for donators, like Sister Angela who would get some help from the Lebanese or other people, or maybe Non Governmental Organisations or the Church. If these are realistic amounts, like the plane ticket we can help. But if it is something like the dept to the employer then it is impossible. »
170 P L church mass , father salim
171 G P woman praying
TC : 10 36 51 00
Père off : « I am far from my country. »
172 G P Père Salim preaches
TC : 10 36 54 00
Père Salim : « There was a earthquake, there is suffering. Here there are some who are ill, who have no passport, who were beaten by their employer, who have no money… There is only suffering. What can you do ? You look at the cross and say "Help us God. Help me God ! »
173 G P chapelet dans sa main (Prière off)
174 P L women pray, Anne and her baby in the middle
175 G P Anne (en Sinhalais)
TC : 10 37 34 00
Anne : « My name is Anne-Ritta. I am 25, my country is Sri Lanka, i am a housemaid. »
176 P L Anne + Hamza + child Shopping
TC : 10 37 44 15
Hamza off : « In 1995 I left Kuweit to go to Sri Lanka. I went there to open a housemaid Agency. »
177 G P picture frame anne + Hamza
TC : 10 37 54 13
Dima off : Where did you meet her ?
TC : 10 37 55 00
Hamza off : « In Kurunegala. »
TC : 10 37 56 00
Dima off : « How did it happen ?»
178 P M Bébé sleeps
TC : 10 37 58 00
Hamza off : « She was an apprentice nurse. »
179 P M Anne + Hamza + daughter (Sarah)
TC : 10 38 00 00
D : « It was love at first sight ? »
TC : 10 38 02 20
H : « Immediately. »
180 P P Anne et Hamza
TC : 10 38 05 50
H : « We went to the court house, I found two witnesses and we got married. We did not tell her parents, of course ! »
181 G P cross hands
TC : 10 38 13 19
D off : « Why did her parents disapprove of this wedding ? »
TC : 10 38 17 24
H off : « She was too young. She was 16. »
182 Pano D G Hamza + Anne
TC : 10 38 21 09
H : « It is also because of my age. Her parents would not accept it. »
TC : 10 38 23 50
D off : « What is the age difference ? »
TC : 10 38 26 23
H : « 26 years »
183 Anne cleans table
TC : 10 38 30 15
H off : « She has not seen Sri Lanka for 7 years. Next year with God's help I hope we can go. »
184 G P ironning
TC : 10 38 36 08
Dima off : « How do you manage to live for the time being ? »
185 P L Hamza + Anne + Sarah
TC : 10 38 40 04
H : « I work as a head chef and Anne helps me part-time. »
TC : 10 38 44 13
D : « Anne, what do you do ? »
TC : 10 38 46 22
A : « I work in houses… that's all. »
TC : 10 38 52 18
D : « Are you happy here in Bourj Hammoud ? »
TC : 10 38 55 03
H : « I thank God. No one bothers us. We are fine among ourselves.
The only thing we need is to save money, for one year, to go back to Sri Lanka.»
186 G P Anne ironing
TC : 10 39 13 04
D off : « What do you miss the most from Sri Lanka ? »
TC : 10 39 15 24
A : « My mother and father…»
(Anne leaves the room in tears).
187 P L Sarah dances on cawch Hamza her father beside her.
188 P M Anne dances while seated
TC : 10 39 44 00
A : « You are so beautiful. »
189 P P Sarah finishes dancing and sits
190 P L Anne drops her baby at kindergarden
TC : 10 40 07 11
Dima off : « How much money do you need every month ? »
H : « Not less than 180 €. Our life is simple, but for our child… »
191 P P Anne et + Hamza
TC : 10 40 15 07
H : « Every week, for the milk and diapers, we need 16 €. That's 80 € in the bin. And the girl needs 1 € a day. We thank God for our simple life. Every Saturday we have a little party. »
TC : 10 40 44 20
D : « A party ? »
TC : 10 40 44 25
H : « Yes, only for us. We cook a special meal. During the week we are exhausted, we come back home, eat and sleep. On Saturdays we take the narghile out, beer, whisky… We have fun. »
TC : 10 41 03 06
D : « And Sarah dances ? »
TC : 10 41 04 00
H : « Yesterday she danced until her mother went to bed. »
192 P.L Beirut sunset
193 P.L Father Selim walks
TC : 10 41 41 12
Père : « There is something wrong in Lebanon. »
194 P M Father Salim ITV
TC : 10 41 43 17
Père : « We have the Work Act but it does not apply to servants. »
TC : 10 41 48 10
Dima : « The article number 6 ? »
TC : 10 41 50 08 00
Père : « This article says that the Work Act, which fixes working hours, compensations, holidays, etc does not apply to servants. So if you make a maid work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week your are not answerable to the authorities. »
TC : 10 42 09 04
Père : « Recently I received a Filipino. Her employer had sent her to the supermarket to buy something. When she came back, her suitcase was outside and the lady told her to go away. »
TC : 10 42 22 09
Dima : « So this time it's not the maid who ran away, it's the lady who turned her out. »
TC : 10 42 25 04
Père : « So that she would not have to pay or anything. What can I do ? The girl went into a shop and called me. They know who I am by now. What do I do ? I came with my car and I took her to a place where she could get a little money. »
195 G P Father Salim
TC : 10 42 40 09
Père : « Right from the beginning in Sri Lanka, you know it already, there are recruiting agencies over there. People mortgage their houses and borrow money to come to Lebanon. They believe this is paradise. I tell them it is nothing like a paradise, it is more like purgatory, if not hell itself. »
197 P L maid takes bags from car
198 P L maid pull dog
199 P L maid cleaning stairs
200 PM cornice maid takes baby from Madame
TC : 10 43 26 24
Père off : « I am showing the Lebanese the psychological problems they are putting themselves into. ».
201 P Father Salim
TC : 10 43 31 18
Père : « The lady is here at home, or working outside or playing bridge. Who is in charge of the children ? It is the Sri-Lankan girl. Throughout the years the child grows up thinking this Sri-Lankan girl is the mother. She is the one who gives me a bath, hands me my toys, feeds me and plays with me. The day the Sri-Lankan girl leaves, it is a real catastrophe. I become an orphan. So I tell the ladies do not give up for no reason. No matter what, do not take a housemaid if you do not absolutely need one. Put on your apron, there is nothing humiliating about that. The women in Lebanon do not want to wear an apron any more. »
202 P L Father Salim
TC : 10 44 13 09
Père : « They do not come here to find a new religion, or to learn how to be civilised. We think they are like savages. We should not forget that India was like 4,000 years before Christ. They were civilised, Sri-Lankans too. Buddha lived 300 years before Christ. He had a surprising philosophy of life. I shocked many people by telling them if I was not a convinced Christian and had to choose between all religions, I would not hesitate a second and would pick Buddhism. It is a wonderful way of living, except they don’t have Christ. »
203 P P 2 maids clean
TC : 10 44 55 19
Père : « Girls in that kind of situation have only two options, two ways out : suicide or running away. »
204 G P 2 maids
205 P P maid with water at pavement
TC : 10 45 04 20
Père : « The first Sudanese, Egyptian, Lebanese or whatever who finds her in the street at night will take her to his house. »
206 G P Father Salim
TC : 10 45 16 11
Père : « There will be many more, so it is better to be raped only by one than be the victim of many. »
TC : 10 45 16 13
Dima : « What if she gets pregnant ? »
207 PL Père Salim ITV
TC : 10 45 21 06
Père : « In this case I ask her if she wants to keep the baby. If she does I will pay for the hospital. If she does not I will make her sign a letter saying she will give me the baby. »
TC : 10 45 30 21
Dima : « What will you do with the child ? »
TC : 10 45 33 12
Père : « You know, now there are… I mean, in the past there were day nurseries and places that like with loads of children. Unfortunately lawyers, private clinics and others have organised a shameful traffic : they take the babies and sell them to families who want them. »
208 PL Top shot Beirut
209 PL cimetery+ chapelle
TC : 10 46 12 00
Dima off : « How many drawers are there ? »
TC : 10 46 13 00
Prêtre : « 20 »
210 P.R drawers of cemetery (common burrials)
TC : 10 46 17 17
Dima Off : « Who is buried here ? »
TC : 10 46 19 19
Prêtre : « The poor, the wretched, those with no money. »
211 G P Bouquets Flowers « From Ethiopia Sisters »
TC : 10 46 26 14
Père off : « … From Sri Lanka, from Niger… Wherever ! The very poor.»
212 TC : 10 46 32 21
Dima Off : « Are there drawers for men and others for women ? »
TC : 10 46 36 22
Père off : « No, they are together. They are all welcome. »
TC : 10 46 45 21
Dima Off : « Could you walk with your back to the camera ? »
TC : 10 46 48 10
Père off : « I told you, you won't even see my hand. »
TC : 10 46 51 04
Dima Off : « Thank you Father. »
213 P L Juliette living room
TC : 10 46 59 18
J off : « Human dignity lies…
214 P P Juliette light ups a candle and leaves
TC : 10 47 03 00
J off : « … in the burial. Every year I receive from 5 to 6 hundred bodies, Sri-Lankan women. »
TC : 10 47 06 16
D off : « Did they die naturally or did they commit suicide ? »
TC : 10 47 07 00
J off : « There are deaths of all kinds but mainly suicides. »
215 P P Juliette ITV
TC : 10 47 15 19
J : « They have been here for at least 6 or 7 months. It is a shame that they should stay for so long in my fridges. There is no solution. »
216 P P Juliette ITV
TC : 10 47 23 23
J : « It should not be allowed to let them be ridiculed like this. You find their bodies rotten in the forest, thrown in the streets, one had her throat slit, others drank poison or heating oil. We deal with many different cases. They throw them alive in front of our hospital… Baabda is the only hospital where we treat them and sent them back. Three months ago they brought us a maid who had been burned from head to toe. »
217 P M Jésus in aframe+ Viergin Mary hanging on walll
TC : 10 48 07 03
J off : « Thrown in front of the emergency door. »
218 G P painting
219 G P Black virgin
TC : 10 48 08 07
J off : « There was another one. »
220 G P Juliette ITV
TC : 10 48 08 07
J : « She was married to an Egyptian who beat her and threw her from the balcony. She is still at my place. He had taken her passport. »
221 G P Juliette ITV
TC : 10 48 17 10
J : « Her little girls. They came to my house and asked to see her mum but I refused. »
TC : 10 48 22 04
D : « Why ? »
TC : 10 48 22 24
J : « Poor girls, I can't let them see their mother like that. She is cut all over. »
TC : 10 48 28 10
D : « But what did he do to her ? »
TC : 10 48 29 00
J : « He injured her badly. »
TC : 10 48 33 05
D : « Where did he hit her ? »
TC : 10 48 34 05
J : « With knives. He stabbed her and threw her from the balcony to kill her. »
222 P L Juliette leaves her place
TC : 10 48 48 16
J : « Come here kitties. »
223 P L Juliette surrounded by her cats
TC : 10 48 51 06
Dima off : « Juliette, where is the morgue ? »
TC : 10 48 54 22
J : « On the other side. »
224 P L morgue gate
TC : 10 48 59 19
J off : « Over there ! You see the piece of metal ? Inside. »
225 P M Maître Tawk
TC : 10 49 07 20
M Tawk : « There are many problems, from the smallest to biggest ones. They are all important but put together it becomes truly horrible. It is like an explosion. It leads the housemaids to jump out from the balcony, from the third floor. It leads the housemaids to run away. Better run away than kill themselves. They live in such terrible conditions, it is what we call Modern Slavery.
Cross fadings
226 Cross fadings Travelling stadium Airport
227 P P 2 women run
228 P L iron gate , people run
229 G P bus behind, maids inside
230 Close up hand on iron
231 P M old woman looks far
232 P M women+ baby crying
233 P L people + Bus behind
234 G P Bus maids
Dissolve
235 Back to bus full of maids
236 G P maid 1
237 B dissolve maid 1
238 C dissolve maid 2
239 dissolve safe house maids enter
240 fondu Jass A/ dissolve Jassi B/ C eyes
241 Dissolve old woman
242 Dissolve maids enter fade to white
243 Sashika
244 Janika
245 Anne
TC : 10 52 03 00
Dima off :
Sashika is already far away… in Lebanon.
Janika is with her daughter again, at last.
Anne is counting the hours that will bring her back home.
And the others…
All the others… keep leaving… In spite of it all.
Distributor: First Hand Films
Length: 52 minutes
Date: 2005
Genre: Expository
Language: English; Arabic; French / English subtitles
Grade: 10-12, College, Adults
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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