Journey of a Red Fridge 2005
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Lucien Muntean and Natasa Stankovic
Directed by Lucien Muntean and Natasa Stankovic
DVD, color, 52 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Asian Studies, Human Rights, Travel and Tourism
Date Entered: 08/20/2009
Reviewed by Jane Sloan, Rutgers University LibrariesJourney of a Red Fridge documents a trek in Nepal by a boy of 17 who has been hired to carry an old refrigerator to a town where it can be repaired. The boy tells of his desire to move on from such heavy labor (since the loads are typically strapped to the head, he is subject to blurred vision) but being a porter is a main source of jobs in the country, placing the burden of wage earning on the backs of children who are strong enough to do it. He visits his father along the four day trek, meets other porters, tourists (those filming him are never seen, though they are addressed by others as ‘tourists’), and barters food and lodging along the way. While the film script is persistently focused on the subject of child labor, the beauty of the Himalayan landscape, its people, and the boy, alongside the beauty of the film production give the film more the feel of a travelogue. Recommended only collections focused on Nepal or tourism studies.