It was not until Nicolae Ceausescu’s dark curtain of secrecy fell that Romania was exposed as a country in a state of disaster. Perhaps the greatest atrocity was the discovery of the “homes for irrecoverable children,” a government program that packed Romania’s most disabled children into decaying buildings where they received inferior and sometimes brutal care. In Lost and Found, filmmaker Joshua Seftel steps inside some of Romania’s most deplorable institutions and illustrates the devastating impact that inhumane living conditions have had on this population of children. The documentary also examines one institution that began to show signs of improvement with aid from outside Romania.

PRESS

“Dramatically portrays the horror of the lives of the children…”
– Frederick Wiseman, documentary filmmaker

“Maybe this unsparing documentary will increase the chances of at least a few children.”
– The New York Times

AWARDS

National Emmy Award Nominee

Winner, Cine Golden Eagle, 1992

Silver Medal, Chicago International Film Festival, 1992

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film Festival, 1992

Bronze Apple, National Education Film Festival, 1992