And so it begins...
$32,001, 365 rooters, 45 days and 1 grateful/galvanized team
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India's largest crowdfunded non-fiction film
With phase 1 complete, we now look forward to what we do best, filmmaking!
We aim to leverage the extra funds raised from this campaign to fulfill our stretch goals of travelling to at least two more states beyond Tripura to capture a more holistic picture of healthcare in India. For those who were not able to contribute via our campaign but would like to now, please see the relevant payment details below.
Bank to Bank Transfer:
Beneficiary: CurleyStreet Media Pvt. Ltd.
Current account no: 166305500001
IFSC code: ICIC0001663
Payment by Cheque:
CurleyStreet Media Pvt. Ltd.
#G2, Regal Manor,
2/1, Bride Street,
Langford Town,
Bangalore - 560025
Please feel free to contact us at anytime on: info@curleystreet.com. You can also call us on +91 9739189460 / +91 8197421799.
Thank you to every rooter for Roona. We will keep you posted on the progress of this film and will need your help to ensure this film creates a thunderclap in the Indian mindset.
Stay tuned folks!
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![Whats Rooting for Roona about? Whats Rooting for Roona about?]()
Roona is a one and a half year old girl born in a tiny village in the state of Tripura, a neglected corner of eastern India. She suffers from hydrocephalus, a birth defect caused by a build up of fluid in the brain leading to massive swelling of the head.
Her parents Abdul and Fatema lead a hand-to-mouth existence and struggle to take care of their daughter. Abdul is an illiterate laborer earning 150 rupees a day (less than US$ 3). Their trips to the local government hospitals were in vain as these were poorly equipped to treat her. Abdul and Fatema could not afford any better. After being told by doctors that there was nothing that could be done for Roona they had almost given up hope.
"I didn't think of her as a sick child. I always thought she was really strong to endure so much pain," Abdul said(AFP). "I figured we would do our best for as long as we could and Allah would help us with the rest."(AFP)
![Fatema with Roona]()
Photo courtesy: Tripura India
A single photo by a news agency(AFP) changed everything. It put into motion an amazing chain of events that would culminate in fully funded surgeries and treatment for Roona at a top private hospital in the nation’s capital. In barely one week, Roona’s story had sprinted across newspapers, magazines, TV channels, social media and more. Help poured in from a crowd-funding group in Norway, a state of the art hospital in Delhi, the royal family of Tripura and finally a documentary film crew from Bangalore, India (A.K.A. us!).
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We set out to document a magical story of compassion and inclusiveness which is still running its course as Roona walks the road to recovery. As we scratched the surface of this inspiring story, we discovered a whole world of facts and unanswered questions that no one seemed keen to raise. We realized that Roona’s condition was a result of an unprepared and irresponsible healthcare system. We found that thousands of children like Roona are born with birth defects (congenital anomalies) every day but are ignored because their stories are not deemed ‘sensational’ enough.
Roona has won a rare lottery and while the world celebrates her second chance, others like her are being sent home to wither in silence.
This is why we have committed to making this documentary. This is why we are here on Indiegogo. Our vision is to create something that:
- Makes healthcare a priority in the social mindspace
- Assesses the present public child-health infrastructure
- Investigates the role of the private sector
- Articulates how you and I can take meaningful action
- Influences child healthcare policy and delivery in the country
- Celebrates Roona's story
Find out more on:
www.rootingforroona.org
Stay tuned for updates on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/RootingForRoona
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/RootingForRoona
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![Whats in the bag and what needs to go in? Whats in the bag and what needs to go in?]()
In the last few months we have already captured extensive footage of Roona, her surgeries, interviews with her parents, her doctors and the wider medical fraternity.
With your support, we will travel to Tripura to understand the circumstances Roona comes from and then to rural hospitals, government-run health camps and other state-run health infrastructure. We will interview public health officers and students at government-run medical colleges. Finally, we will identify and document other children from rural areas who suffer from congenital conditions to understand how the health mechanism in the country has supported them (after Roona’s story grabbed headlines, two other families from Tripura with children suffering from extreme cases of hydrocephalus were also discovered and the numbers continue to rise every day).
Our conviction to investigate and take this story to the world has opened many doors. We have been able to provide a platform for people in the healthcare space to come forward and speak openly about the shortcomings of the system.
We are here asking you to invest in our conviction so that we may together shape the future of child healthcare in India.
Join us as we Root for Roona and the health of the Indian child!
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![How will my contribution be utilized? How will my contribution be utilized?]()
![Pie Chart of Fund Allocation Pie Chart of Fund Allocation]()
![Help us spread the word! Help us spread the word!]()
Please do what you can to get the word out and make some noise about this campaign and our film!
Send everyone you know the link to our Indiegogo page, the more people who know the better! Spread the word!
Share this campaign link on Facebook, Twitter, your website, blog and wherever else you can!
Send us information you think we need to have. Help us ask questions we may have missed and point us in the direction of cases like Roona that we can bring to the world’s attention. This film is yours to build as well. (contact information at the bottom of the page)
Every little bit that you do goes towards creating change in the way healthcare and timely help reaches those who need it the most. As recognition of your generosity, we will thank you in our own special way – by sending you Rewards that will always remind you of how you were a part of the force that can say "I Rooted for Roona"
'I rooted for Roona' Poster
![Rooting for Roona poster Rooting for Roona poster]()
'I rooted for Roona' T-shirt
!['I Rooted for Roona' T-Shirt 'I Rooted for Roona' T-Shirt]()
![What are my payment options? What are my payment options?]()
International Contributors (Outside India)
Option #1: via PayPal
Option #2: via Credit Card
Indian Contributors
Only Option: via Credit Card
*If you are having difficulties making a contribution or would like to choose an alternate method of payment, please feel free to contact us directly via email on info@curleystreet.com. You can also give us a call on:
0091-9731000440 / 0091-9739189460 / 0091-9632348400
Payment Related FAQ's on Indiegogo
How do people contribute via PayPal?
To make a contribution using PayPal, the contributor can either sign in to a PayPal account or elect to "Pay as a Guest." If someone chooses "Pay as a Guest", they can use a credit card without having a Paypal account. For instructions on how to Pay as a Guest on PayPal, please visit: How to Contribute via PayPal without a PayPal Account.
Which cards does Indiegogo accept?
Indiegogo accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. At this time, we do not accept prepaid cards.
When is the payment charged to the contributor's account?
Contributions made by credit card are debited from the contributor's card immediately.
![Meet the people making this film Meet the people making this film]()
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"We are storytellers who believe in the power of cinema for positive change. Our Films are about hope” - Pavitra Chalam
We are CurleyStreet Media, an independent film production house based in Bangalore, India, founded by documentary film-maker Pavitra Chalam. We are deeply invested in making films on social issues and the power of the human spirit - stories about real people, real issues. We are a bunch of young passionate people who believe that film is a medium with the power to affect people deeply and spark change; that we can change the world one frame at a time.
You can get to know Team CurleyStreet better on our website.
Our Director, Pavitra Chalam has been making films on social issues for close to a decade. Her dream has always been to eternalize issues that are important, moments that are precious to the fabric of change, and bring them to the world through the magical and powerful medium of film.
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Following her passion, Pavitra graduated from the New York Film Academy’s Filmmaking Program. She made her directorial debut with ‘Bus’ (a film that made its mark at the Youth Initiative for Peace in Pakistan), was a journalist at the World Youth Congress in Morocco and travelled across Europe in 2004 as an Ambassador of the NGO – Peace Child International. Her work has brought her many awards and accolades including the Ability Media International (AMI) Award in London 2010 for Khushboo, a film about children with complex needs. On her journey as a storyteller and a champion of change there has been no hesitation, no looking back.
![What we have done in the past What we have done in the past]()
Over the years, Pavitra and CurleyStreet have created films which raise awareness on a vast array of social issues including drug addiction and rehabilitation, cancer, mental health, disability and special needs, women and children’s rights and the environment.
You can see more of our work on our Vimeo profile.
Our latest venture is proof of our belief that film can be a catalyst for change. The short version of our most recent documentary ‘Indelible’, about 7 people with Down’s syndrome in India was watched by over 50,000 viewers worldwide and inspired young people across the nation to volunteer with Down’s syndrome organizations during their free time.
Watch 'Indelible' (the short)', here : http://vimeo.com/47084209
You can email us at info@curleystreet.com
Thank you for Rooting for Roona!
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