Frequently Asked Questions with filmmaker Gregg Helvey
Why I made this film:
I was so rattled by the thought of modern-day slavery that, when I had the opportunity to make a masters thesis film at the University of Southern California, I wanted to move audiences just as I was moved; I wanted to make the most of my film by telling a good story, transporting the audience to a different world and raising awareness about an important issue. This short film is also the springboard to a feature length version.
The Oscars & Action:
The Oscar nomination is a dream-come-true. We had such a dedicated, hard-working team to make Kavi that it was truly a collaborative effort each step of the way. I never get tired of watching Kavi. However, there’s more to Kavi than just a film… it’s important to me that this issue of modern-day slavery gets recognition.
This is a pivotal time to raise more awareness about modern-day slavery, and I hope this Oscar nomination does just that. Modern-day slavery is a world wide issue, not just an Indian one. In Haiti, the earthquake actually shed more light on the institutionalized child slaves called, “restavecs.” And now traffickers in Haiti are preying on women & children displaced by the earthquake.
Closer to home in California, sex slavery and human trafficking can thrive right under our noses. There are also some businesses that rely on slave labor (knowingly or unknowingly). In fact, certain organizations are putting pressure on Senator Steinberg’s office to pass a bill that would require companies to examine and ensure that there is no slave labor in their supply chains.
My hope is that people can use Kavi to raise awareness that turns into action.
How I first learned about slavery:
After I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2001, I had a brief stint as a National Geographic Traveler, where I first learned that slavery still exists. The editor I was working for was starting a nonprofit targeting sex slavery in Eastern Europe. It blew my mind to hear the horrific stories of young women being sold into slavery. As I dug into research, I learned that the most prevalent yet least-known form of modern-day slavery is bonded labor. The majority of films I had seen exposed sex slavery and human trafficking, but there are very little on bonded labor. I read about some brick kilns in India and Pakistan where entire families are forced to make bricks in order to pay off “loans†they are tricked into taking. The slaves are forced to work through intimidation or violence and, if they attempt to escape, they are often beaten and then charged for the price of their bandages. If they do escape, then the loan givers will force extended family members to work in their relative’s stead. Often, the victims are both illiterate and innumerate, thus making it difficult to fully understand their own situation. These bogus loans can be passed down through generations, resulting in families who have only ever known a life of forced labor.
Why fiction instead of documentary?
I wanted to take an intimate peek at a family dealing with such a heavy issue. I felt that a fictional story was the best way to capture that delicate situation in the moment.
Why a short film?
This was my first film, and because it was my USC thesis film I’m required to keep it less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, I think having KAVI as a short film also makes it a powerful teaching tool to raise awareness about modern-day slavery. People are often more willing to spend 20 minutes to watch a short than investing a full 90 minutes.
Why India?
Slavery also exists in the United States and other countries around the world. However, I chose to set my film in India for a variety of reasons. In 2002, I shot documentary footage in India for a BBC One science show about solar-powered rickshaws in Udaipur and I fell in love with the country, people, food, sights, sounds and smells. It was a thrilling sensory overload, and I had always been itching to go back.
Shooting location:
We filmed in the small village of Shirwal, which is about 4 hours east of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra.
The film was shot in 7 days, which was actually 2 days less than originally scheduled; however, we had a tremendous crew who worked their hearts out to get Kavi in the can. In total it took 2 1/2 years to complete Kavi.
Another film about poverty in India?
I knew I was dealing with a delicate topic with this film. Kavi is a springboard for a full-length feature that explores how slavery is not just in India, but in most countries and even in our backyards. Within this film, I portray hope in the situation by showing how Indians are helping each other to combat this issue. Moreover, I took many steps to ensure the authenticity Kavi’s world, which included visiting over 20 brick kilns throughout India and meeting child workers (more below).
It’s been incredibly encouraging to see the positive response from Indian audiences, as well. Kavi has won awards at every major Indian film festivals where it has played.
Slumdog comparison?
It’s funny- but we actually shot KAVI before Slumdog even went into production. The difference is that we were working on a student budget, which resulted in a slower processes for us. So, Kavi wasn’t made as a reaction to Slumdog’s success… we were actually doing our final sound editing by the time Slumdog was released.
Working with Sagar Salunke:
The casting process in India was a different experience than that I was used to. After auditioning child actors from Bollywood and afterschool programs, we finally found Sagar through word of mouth. Guneet Monga and Vikas Chandra heard about this amazing kid named Sagar Salunke who had only been in one film previously as a minor role. His experience was limited and he didn’t speak English so we had to use a translator, but we connected instantly. When he walked into the room, we smiled at one another and I knew there was something special about him. Sagar was our Kavi.
Filming in Hindi:
I felt it was important to tell the story in Hindi, even if it was more challenging. It had to be genuine. This meant I had to direct with a focus on the actor’s authenticity and believability, hitting each emotional beat rather than the exact words.
The filming process:
When I started writing the script in September 2006, I knew that books and articles wouldn’t be enough. So that December, I went to India for a month of location scouting to see the brick kilns in person, meeting child workers and soaking up as much as I could to make my story as authentic as possible. During that month, I asked people when would be a good time to return to film and nearly everyone said, “September- that is when brickmaking season beginsâ€. However, when I returned to India in August 2007 to prep for a September shoot, everyone said “No, no, no. Brickmaking season doesn’t begin until Novemberâ€. It was also monsoon season. In the weeks leading up to the shoot, the rain continued. At this point, we were losing crew and the only option was leaving and returning in December. But then there was a ray of hope. The rains cleared enough for us to get our 60-person crew out to the location for prepping. Because it wasn’t brickmaking season, we had to hire brickmakers from another village to come make the thousands of bricks in the film. In the 7 days of dry weather, we shot the film. As we left the set for the final time, dark clouds began to gather; and two hours after we wrapped, the rain came pouring down.
All in all, it took two and a half years to make this 17-minute film. The journey has been an adventure and a character building experience, and it has been exciting to see “Kavi†take off. It is especially gratifying when Indian audiences react so positively to the film and I’m encouraged by others who ask forward-thinking questions about how they can help to end slavery. I hope to generate the same kind of support for the feature-length version based on the short, so I can reach an even wider audience with this message and play a small roll in giving a voice to the voiceless.
