Watch Kids' Reviews of
TORSHA - THE NAME OF A RIVER

Torsha - The Name Of A River is an inspiring story about standing up for the disenfranchised. It is beautifully filmed and performed.

This feature length film tells the story of a young girl, Torsha, who comes from a privileged family, befriends a group of underprivileged children who live in a slum built on government land. Their community takes her in as one of their own. When the government makes a move to destroy their homes and kick them out, Torsha appeals to her dad, the District Magistrate, to stop the catastrophe and save their community.

This is a beautifully made film, with terrific camera work, audio recording, editing, and acting.

The girl, Torsha, is named after the prime river that runs through the West Bengal state and symbolizes support for its people. She lives up to her name by befriending children from the slums when the children from her own school won't play with her. She finds a new loving community there and discovers the extent to which poverty affects their lives - taking on teaching them how to read and write. Her father is an honorable man, and one inclined to fairness, rather than following political mandates. When he learns from her that her friends' houses will be demolished, things begin to change.

The film's message is about loving our neighbors and making things fair when they are not.

I give Torsha - The Name Of A River 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults.

However, I have one issue with it. There appears to be an ad at the beginning of this film, about smoking and cancer. This needs to be eliminated for the festival version. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

Torsha - The Name Of A River is an inspiring story about standing up for the disenfranchised. It is beautifully filmed and performed.

This feature length film tells the story of a young girl, Torsha, who comes from a privileged family, befriends a group of underprivileged children who live in a slum built on government land. Their community takes her in as one of their own. When the government makes a move to destroy their homes and kick them out, Torsha appeals to her dad, the District Magistrate, to stop the catastrophe and save their community.

This is a beautifully made film, with terrific camera work, audio recording, editing, and acting.

The girl, Torsha, is named after the prime river that runs through the West Bengal state and symbolizes support for its people. She lives up to her name by befriending children from the slums when the children from her own school won't play with her. She finds a new loving community there and discovers the extent to which poverty affects their lives - taking on teaching them how to read and write. Her father is an honorable man, and one inclined to fairness, rather than following political mandates. When he learns from her that her friends' houses will be demolished, things begin to change.

The film's message is about loving our neighbors and making things fair when they are not.

I give Torsha - The Name Of A River 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults.

However, I have one issue with it. There appears to be an ad at the beginning of this film, about smoking and cancer. This needs to be eliminated for the festival version. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

A river symbolizes life, moving at its own pace, full of vitality. One such river, Torsha, is a prime river in the north of the West Bengal state in India and moves to Bangladesh. Our story revolves around the lives of fishermen in a slum adjacent to the banks of Torsha. A big blow is dealt to the slum residents when a government directive, by the order of the District Magistrate arrives, asking them to vacate the slum built over Government land. They worry that this would mean losing their jobs. That is when the namesake Torsha, the little daughter of the District Magistrate comes to the fishermen's rescue. "Torsha Ekti Nadir Naam" is a story of childhood simplicity that sees beyond discrimination of caste, creed or religion. Our world may be fragmented in 'classes', that confine children to their societal circles. But this film urges viewers to see the world through children's eyes. Children in the movie through their playfulness, thinking, and activities can help the viewers to win over their inner conflicts for a peaceful living in the world.