The Mountain & The Maiden
Shmuel Hoffman and Anton von Heiseler
This is the story of a day in the life of Aspiya. A 10-year-old girl living with her younger brother, older sister and parents in a one-room-shack in New Delhi near Asia’s biggest landfill.
Aspiya is the main supporter of her family. Every single day she walks up the landfill in order to collect trash that then will later be sold to companies that reuse the materials for their products.
While the subtext is pollution, child labor, our modern lifestyle of waste the main thing is that you can be happy no matter the circumstances.
This film is about the human crave for happiness and how, despite dire circumstances, your outlook on life determines the inner quality of your life.
Director Biography
We are a band of filmmakers, producers, activists, teachers and social entrepreneurs who come from Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist backgrounds in order to form a unit to make films to impact peoples lives. While entertaining people is super important to us we want our films to move people and have an impact on their actions as well.
Director Statement
Proceeds of this film go straight to Aspiya (our protagonist) and her family. On our website you can donate for her so that she can get an education and fulfill her life dream to found a school for children that work at the landfill. Her goal is that through this education the kids will be able to make a better living and can leave behind the work at the landfill. Thank you for considering this film and make the world a better place.
Shmuel Hoffman and Anton von Heiseler