part-3, Bulgaria's Abandoned Children Revisited

In 2007 the BBC documentary film 'Bulgaria's Abandoned Children caused an international outcry because the images of neglect were so shocking to witness in a country that had just become a member of the European Union. Bulgaria has more institutionalised mentally and physically disabled children than anywhere else in Europe. The film is a heart-rending and eye-opening look into the life of one institution.

Eighteen months after filming it, director Kate Blewett returned to Bulgaria in 2009 to film with a handful of the children featured in the original documentary, seeing where they are today and how their lives have changed since the outcry and changes brought about by the film.

The original documentary is set in a small Bulgarian village in an institute called Mogilino, a place where 75 unwanted disabled children are growing up. Many of them cannot walk or talk, not necessarily because they are unable to, but because they have been neglected and have never had the opportunity to learn. With extraordinary access, Blewett takes us into this tragic silent world.

The second half of the film takes the audience back to Bulgaria to see how the lives of the children have been transformed beyond recognition as a result of the public response to the film. It is testimony to the power of television to bring about concrete change, and also demonstrate how even apparently hopelessly withdrawn and 'damaged' children can be reached, helped and given a meaningful life and future with the right care.

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• international
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• neglect
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[jb55101]

why is that in amercia they show animals being abused but u never see this on tv they never show this so we can help only animals . are animals more importent?

[laloopa]

All these children are starved for the neccessities of life. My heart absolutely bleeds for Dede, seing her deteriorate over the course of this documentary is one of the most horrendous things I have ever seen.

[ARROWGANT]

Funny how all the caretakers are chunky and obviously getting enough to eat.

[lost619]

I thought this was revisited? It's the same clip as the last one

[dragonfflyswed]

@jb55101 They should show both, they are both equally important

[ibidydo]

to see this happen from a person with asperger syndrome it goes beyond painful, i mean regardless of the country no one is helping,

[mientjeo4]

Havent you noticed that most of those caretakers are fat??

Makes me sick!,if i worked there i would bring my own food and starf with them..

I hope the situation is better now

[jb55101]

if yous ee an updated on some of the kids you see how fast they got fat with the right food. and treated with respcat how some of the kids changed i saw video of the boy that hit himself on the head and was blind him and the one child that had it's thump cut off from sucking on it to much they both where in video playing and sitting up at a day center that child in the crib with its thump cot off that turned out to be a girl.

[alanaswiss1]

@jb55101 i know! it pisses me off when there's so much money and effort put into 'saving the whales' when there are children suffering like this!

[TheDivineMissJayvee]

I'm not a violent person, but I could easily have punched that woman at 9:10. She clearly didn't give a fuck about that poor child's suffering

[ByronBanquo]

I hope God casts the wicked man to the ground, who is obviously abusing those children for no reason. They are desperate to begin with, why cause further suffering?

[sayyadina]

this is very disturbing to see... it's hard to understand how the caretakers can move these kids around like they're objects and not even look at them as humans... but the blonde reporter with her little skirt swooping in to make mad faces at them irritates me. throwing money and cameras at a problem is one thing, living there and seeing and caring for these children every day is something entirely different.