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Violeta “Macarena” Rosu

“Please…”

Children Underground
From the documentary Children Underground

Roanoke, Va.– It was six o’clock in the morning. I couldn’t sleep, so I put on a documentary. Still unable to sleep, I watched it.

It turns out after the fall of Communism, 20,000 Romanian children went homeless. Children Underground is a “hands-off” documentary focusing on about five of a larger group of children living in the subway system under Piata Victoriei.

As I watched the documentary, I fixated on one of the children, a teenager named Violeta Rosu, who was born in 1986, like me. She does not know her real name, and all her life has been called “Macarena” because it is her favorite song. All the children featured in the documentary were addicted to Aurolac paint, but Macarena was apparently the most addicted. She even replaced food with paint, because it made the hunger go away.

Macarena doesn’t know her name, and as of the making of this documentary, had not yet realized she, too, is born of a mother, like “normal” people.

As the sun came up, I stared out the window, reflecting on how tragically beautiful she is. Nobody will help her. No one will save her. I guess there are not enough rich horny men willing to scoop up the sob stories in Romania like there are here in America. So hey…I’ll take her. But, what can I do?

This documentary was shot in 2001. I assumed that because of her obvious weakness, subtle beauty, and exposure due to this documentary, someone must surely have helped her. In fact, someone did help a small boy from the same documentary. But the story is not as good for my dear friend Violeta “Macarena” Rosu since 2004. A social worker interviewed an incoherent Macarena in 2008, and reported she graduated to heroin and sleeps outdoors. [UPDATE: I GOT THE REPORTER TO ADMIT THIS IS A LIE – she met Macarena and reported she is addicted to heroin based only on her appearance and rumors] Regardless, at this stage to look in Violeta’s eyes is probably to confront a zombie – if her situation is that good. As of this year, she is presumed dead, or dying.

I am enraged by the filmmaker, Edet Belzberg, and even the social worker who found her two years ago and still did nothing for her, but instead for themselves, using this innocent girl to move up in their careers. I have been unable to shake Macarena from my memory. I think about her too often, and look at my own well-being with shame and guilt. I want to do something for her. I am disgusted that she may soon die.

It is against US Immigration laws to bring an addict into the country, especially just to help them survive. Should I have married her? Even if it meant she would die as my immigrant wife of a heroin overdose under my watch, at least she’d die in a warm bed, and not some cold, wet park bench.

I feel like there is nothing I can do. So I made this video, and now I sit here quietly, wondering if she is even alive.

I saw Piata Victoriei today. It’s cold and rainy.

By Hatesec

I am the hatest

110 replies on “Violeta “Macarena” Rosu”

i am touched by this because i have watched this and i really wanted to help her i cried and i prayed she will be sent to me my god god i hope she is well and still living i hope me or yu will find her soon yuu can email me

I feel exactly the same way. I understand that resources for helping street kids are scarce, but it still wasn’t fair that she was left the way she was. It kills me that people all around the world have seen the documentary (even gave it awards!) and have been incredibly affected by this girl and her life, yet after all that she is going to die alone and invisible. I wish she could know how much of an impact she made by being in this film; I don’t know if that would give her any peace, but I think the legacy of the film has given her more to be proud of than most.

Kaylee, thanks for your comment. I am in touch with social workers in her area, who are currently searching for Macarena or can give us an update on her status. Here’s hoping she’s still alive – the question is then, what’s next?

Nice article! Macarena is indeed a very tragic character. When I watched the documentary, I felt for all the kids, though the least for Macarena. She was one of the oldest kids in Piata Victoriei and I kind of felt it was her own fault she got bullied by the others. I thought she should have been more assertive, more like Cristina… It was only in the end (the very last scene) that I realised in what a terrible state she was in. Do you remember when she talks about her (imaginary) twin sister and her parents? That statement revealed to me how desperately she wanted to get off the streets and to be part of a family, and of how volnerable she was. Good of you to focus on this girl.
You mentioned a 2008 interview. Could you tell me where you found that?
Anyway, please let us know if you heard something about Macarena. I hope for the best.

Misa,

After twenty days, I received a response today from a social worker in Bucharest saying “Macarena” is still alive. It says she is “fine.” That is the only information reported in the e-mail, but I replied back asking for more specific details from his communications with people around Macarena. He did not speak with her directly.

Sadly, when i first watched it i felt the same about Macarena. Now that im older and have watched it again I feel for her more than any of the others as she is completely on her own – and shows no sign of ever changing.

It almost broke my heart in the scene where anna and her brother are taken by the nun (or social worker – im not sure which) and Macarena wasnt.

U can see the dissapointment and hurt in her eyes – giving her yet ANOTHER feeling of “why not me” or “why everybody else”.

Srry if im babbling on but its 6 am here and I still cant get their stories out of my head.

i am desperate to find out what happened to Ana. i cant find anything. no updates since her mother had twins when she was 14 and she was in a photo holding them with her little brother. she also had a child to an unknown man.

Cristina passed away in 2006 i read it was from the cold but im not sure. she had a baby that was given to the government and she was addicted to herion :(

Mehai is safe and well :)

Mirian and Ana thoug.. i cant find ANYTHING!!!!

HELP!!!

You can find more info at the facebookpage about Children Underground. Mihai is there and willing to answer questions. His replies are sometimes incomprehensible, but what I made out of it is that Cristina is not dead.
Marian is on FB too, just type in his name and you’ll find him. Ana isn’t on FB at first sight, though if you browse through Marians friends, you will find a girl called ‘Ana Maria’. I’m not certain, but the girl on the pics could very well be Ana.
Let me know what you think.

I checked on facebook, and it looks like it is ana, so i think you are right!

Both Marian and Ana seems ok today.

What i had notise is that it worked alright with the younger children, while the older, like christina and macarena did not make it very well. Maybe to long on the streets is to difficult to save?
Well, anyway, its a really sad story, and it might not be that bad today, but it is still in europe some places very very bad, and children still lives on the streets, like Russia, Moldova, etc.

fore SammyB
March 13, 2011 at 11:23 AM · Reply

ana is really about two brothers who she has been living at her parents I will try to help you as you can if you give her no;)

Sunt pe facebook si pe skype asa ca va astept :) nu prea am timp sa intru pe toate saiturile sa corectez ce se vorbeste de ceilanti . Daca aveti nevoie de informati va astept sa ma contacati si poate facem pentru a intelege toata lumea mersi
tudose mihai alexandru ;)

I have Mihai as a friend on face book. Macarena is still alive. I too wish I could help her and cannot believe others wouldn’t. Here’s to hoping she finds a warm bed soon.

I’m friends with Mihai, too, and Ana Maria (also from the documentary; the small girl). Ana Maria has children now and regular access to the internet, but she doesn’t check Facebook very often and can’t read a word of English. She tells Mihai that Violeta is okay from time to time, and Mihai contends she is not addicted to heroin. Not that paint – or glue – is any better…

Thanks for your comment. I will probably write a letter some day soon (in Romanian) and see that it gets into Macarena’s hands.

I have watched this documentary many times and wish I could do something…anything…
I read just this morning that Christina has 3 children, 2 boys and a daughter. All of which are not in her care. Apparently she has married (not her children’s biological father) but her husband is hep C positive and is also hiv positive. Both are addicted to heroin. Christina has also become a self abuser (cutter). As I read this heartbreaking information I found I couldn’t hold back my tears.
I understand the anger of not being able to see anything being done for these children, I feel it as well but these are just the 5 we have seen…there are thousands. Although there are many issues in any nation it is as though these kids were never born and are certainly not wanted. When communism in Romania ended these kids had no place. It is as though they have no face but those eyes are branded on my soul.
If I could get my hands on Ana’s stepfather I would have no problem sending him to meet his maker. I was appalled her mother hadn’t defended her child from the hands of a child molester. She said nothing in Ana’s defense. OMG! I would crucify that bastard.
So all we can do is hope and pray these 5 we’ve met will find a place in this world. With them receiving no education things do not seem encouraging.
Always remember for the few we know of there are thousands we never will see. All we can do is pray for them to be safe. They touched a lot of people. They will never be forgotten in our hearts.

Hi Debra, thank you for giving a little update Christina how did you find out all this info? Thank so much in advance?

I am the “social worker [who] interviewed an incoherent Macarena in 2008.” The author is mistaken in saying that I admitted to lying. I was accused of lying under a definition of saying something when one is unable to prove it as fact. I did admit to being unable to prove that Macarena was addicted to heroin. I was told by more than one person who knew her that she was addicted to heroin, which is the same as the author is using now to say she is not addicted to heroin. I hope she isn’t, and I hope that what I said was untrue. I did not state something that was simply based on appearance and “rumor.” When speaking to Macarena, I did not suspect she was on heroin–I am not experienced in behavior under the influence of drugs further than knowing when someone is high. Only later, when mentioning the conversation, did I hear from a few people who knew her that she was on heroin.

The author has [unintentionally] stated several “facts” about me that are untrue. I am not a reporter and never claimed to be. I am not a social worker and never claimed to be. It was not an interview that I had with Macarena, and I never claimed it was. I am a person who lived in Romania and walked through Piata Victoriei almost every day. I saw Macarena often (including sleeping in the Piata Victoriei subway station and huffing aurolac), and had a long conversation with her once. It was certainly not an interview. We had a rambling conversation where we walked around Piata Victoriei above ground (what Macarena called a “canal tour”) and she described a series of events, some of which she claimed were in the past and some of which she claimed were happening right then. I asked if she wanted help from a social worker and she said yes, so I gave her the information she needed if she wanted help. I watched as she wrote it down.

If you’re interested in more of what I wrote, here are some links (in the order I wrote them):

http://bemis.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/deserving-responsibility/

http://bemis.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/orphanages-in-romania/

http://bemis.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/romanian-street-kids/

Like I said, I truly hope what I said wasn’t true, and that Macarena isn’t addicted to heroin. Mihai’s stating that she isn’t has given me hope.

Sharon, welcome to the hate circle. We’ve been expecting you. Thanks for pointing us to links to your private blog which no one can access. No worries, I already saved it on a thumbdrive.

But first things first: That’s right, you’re not a reporter, because reporters use facts to substantiate their claims. And you’re not a social worker, either. I get that too. Quite the opposite, before slinking off to produce children, you were a missionary for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee whose goal was to start churches in Southeast Romania, profiting in God’s Glory, amen. So please I beg of you to excuse me for espousing an inaccurate, bald faced assumption that you are interested in making the world a better place.

While in Romania, you volunteered at a Pro-Life Clinic – a “Christian crisis” pregnancy center whose beliefs around abortion fall mysteriously in line with those of Romanian Communist Nicolae Ceauşescu. Because abortions, among other things, were outlawed by his old Communist regime, that is why there are so many street children for you to haphazardly bump into in Romania and write about on your blog.

So, not a reporter. Not a social worker. And now that you’re back in America, you’re a housewife – maybe looking for a part time job, maybe considering grad school but more likely to lay around on the internet googling yourself. That said, being a benign little housewife doesn’t make you any less of a liar, Sharon. And yes, you lied.

How do I know this? Because I am the person to whom you admitted lying. Here, have a chatlog:

Sharon: I hope you’re right. I hope she wasn’t on heroin. I truly hope I was mistaken when I said that.

me: It is irresponsible to report without checking facts.

Sharon: She’s definitely addicted to aurolac–that I’ve seen multiple times.

me: Well, also her aurolac addiction was the main focus of the documentayr [sic] Children Underground

Sharon: I don’t appreciate being called a liar when everything I wrote, I wrote after having checked statistics and researching and talking to people, including people who knew her. How do you suggest I should have checked further for proof?

me: Statistics don’t indicate Macarena, the individual, was using heroin. As a journalist, when I can’t obtain proof of a fact, I don’t report it as fact.

Sharon: But people who knew her did. People who know her tell you now she didn’t. One story is true, and I hope for Macarena’s sake that it’s yours.

me: The only true story about Macarena is that we don’t know. But for a while, you claimed to. Reporting something that may or may not be true, that you can’t verify as true and you have no proof and then it turns out you don’t know it’s true – makes you a liar. If you don’t want to be called out on a lie, then don’t report something as fact when you don’t actually know whether it is or not.

Sharon: You’ve called me a liar and a gossiping hen. Can’t say I’ve been called that before. It’s good to be knocked down a couple notches every once in awhile.

From your website:

“For Macarena, the situation hasn’t improved. It was almost ten years ago that Children Underground showed her as a fourteen-year-old addicted to dancing and Aurolac.

She has graduated to heroin.”

My heart wrenched as I read those five words. All the next day at work, I described the story of this person to my co-workers and that “she has graduated to heroin.” And fuck! It was just a lie you used to pepper importance on what might have otherwise been a bland, uninteresting blog post about a girl you met at the station. You’re another example of a random white opportunist out to exploit the weak for your own personal gain, just like Edet Belzberg. The truth, if you’re interested, would look more like: “I believe she’s on heroin,” or “Some dude who knows her said she was on heroin,” or “She was acting like she was on heroin!” Not that you even know what that looks like. You’ve probably seen it in a movie.

Really, I am in the wrong here, Sharon. I should have never repeated the lies I found on your blog. Unless you consider guilting a teenager into having babies to be a good thing, I have to argue the best thing you’ve done for the world yet is making your whole blog private, because Macarena’s close friends have had to tell me I was wrong for repeating what I found there. Because your article was the most recent account anyone had to go by, and because you wrote Macarena is addicted to heroin without checking your facts, people believed it for a long time.

From the editor: I really don’t think the heart of the macarena story is whether or not she does heroin. It’s a distraction from a girl who has lived her life on the streets; she has a bigger story.

i watched the documentary recently and, like you, i was deeply moved by violeta. i am going to romania for three weeks in december and intend to try and search for her and help.
if any of you have any information on how i could find her, please let me know.
i am bilingual in romanian and english so there won’t be the language barrier at least.

Does anyone know how Macarena is doing today, as of December 2011? I am also thinking about the others, of course. How is Cristina? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Sadly Christina is still homeless. She has 3 children. 2 boys and a girl. She has married but her husband is hep c and hiv positive. Christina is also hep c positive and both she and her husband are addicted to heroin. She has also become a cutter.
Note this was from some searching on the net and may not be fact. I certainly hope not

I read that Cristina’s husband died from Aids related illness but..I don’t know how she is doing. Does anyone know?

Mihai, thanks for dropping by again. For those of you who don’t remember, Mihai is the small boy in the documentary. He just graduated from a university in Belgium. Congratulations man.

^Email him with your questions

Hello Mihai
Thanks for information about Macarena…. I am Catholic and I am praying for her and hopefully one day she can get her feet together and start new life. (never know?) I am NOT give up praying for Cristian and Macarena to heal their pain. But be honest with u that you was my number one favorite boy and being my hero from Children underground. I am so glad that u finally got ur life together!!!!! GOOD JOB!!!! :)

I would love to go to Bucharest, and start up a place where all these young people can come to for a bit of shelter, a heat, and something to eat and drink. It breaks my heart to know these children and young people feel so alone and isolated. I hope each and every one is okay and the future can be better.

Dude don’t you think Macarena’s so hot? I mean street kids get me hard as shit, look at how powerless and miserable she is.

Hey Beefrave, MeepSheep b& me from editing ED probably because i called Gandhi a powerfag. What is that shit?

meep . does what he does. but. hey guess what. not here for that. :) here to enjoy this wonderful news site. that has the best in the best of the best news. the best news. ever . so pu dat other. shit over there. and enjoy this news!!!!!!!!!
more at eleven !!!

could any one of you send me a link to their Facebook pages, i really want to be updated. the documentary was almost 10 years ago and things change. but cristina and macarena are the perfect example of utter abandonment from family, society, and the state. it cannot be ignored.

Im positive I saw Macarena at a subway station in Bucarest 10 days ago. She was hanging with some guys. I wouldn´t stay and stare but both me and my friend are sure it was her.

As a result of this film, people like you and I and many others are now aware of this situation in Romania. According to your article, one child even received care because of it. I do not understand how you think the filmmaker did nothing to help her. Would choosing to do nothing be better? Should he pick the world up AND carry it a mile? What exactly do u expect him to do? It seems like he did his part, much more than most others have done, whether it advances his career or not. Actually, I believe this film has done much more than any one person could have done.

I am so glad that others are touched by this story the way I was. I am from Texas and not wealthy by any means, but my spouse comes from a wealthy family, and he helped me with getting off the streets and getting over my addiction issues. I don’t know where I would of ended up with out him; and now we live better than most we know with my autistic son. To be real, if I hadn’t the knowledge of “street life” and to share some of those experiences that I personally had (and through my patients with his disability)…. he’s threatened to runaway many times, and might of done so. It’s not that things may be soo horrible at home, like Anna he sometimes doesn’t want to trust my knoll age and love. Sometimes it’s hard for a strong willed creature to accept not being in controll of there own life, and leads to festering issues that actually has nothing to do with us. They feel a “Freedom” in owning there own decissions; good or horrible results. So with this understanding, and the knowledge that some kids will not benefit from being “beaten” or “spanked”. I would love to adopt one of these kiddos, help them through being tortured in there own heads like my son sometimes expresses. I know this life will never be ideal; but I want to help comfert those children who’s problems lye way beyond the physical ….. I want to help them know that they are simply yet complexly are loved . And I wouldn’t care if they are or where struggling with addiction, it’s all apart of the human condition. I relate and love you all; all the “Christinas” all the “Annas & Marians” all the “Mahis” and especially “Marceranas” out there<3 You Are Entitled to More, to Love from people who have been close to "there" and care about your future and in getting you the tools to love yourselfs.

I know Edet is a female, so before everyone jumps all over me for referring to her as him, I want to point out i realize this mistake.

I just watch the documentary i moved me so bad…i cryed ….i felt in my heart every time this kids got beaten….i pray to god that this kids are ok…save and sound….may god be with them and bless them…

Stay off of here! You are sick in the head, it’s people like you I would and do protect my child from. What will become of your soul……I have a few ideas in mind. A child’s body is sacred, even these children! And if someone has not treated your body sacredly…I will pray for you. That you may never spread this hate to any other! You do deserve the same respect, and I wish I had been there to protect you.

Thank you for bringing your virulent homophobia to this save the Romanian drug children estrogen cesspool. That is all.

I have been forever touched by this documenty and pray each night and day for the children underground.. My heart was very touched by the little boy in the video. I believe named Mihai I believe was 12 and his father beat him..Through all that he still kept his faith and what an adorable child, his want for schooling and a better life. I found myself wanting to take him home and keep him safe as for all the children. It truly broke my heart to see young children without food, a bed, home, a family.. God Bless all the children and if ever this young man reads this..I would say to him, Mihai you have forever changed my life and opened my heart. I am adopted myself here in the United States were children can not walk the streets alone without a home..I wish you th every best and i’d like to be your friend because I would like to share my experiance and hear more of yours, from the update I got I heard you graduated from a University oh I hope this to be true! God Bless all Children from the Underground…Truly concerned Sharon

Also dont forget that Ana’s little brother Marian is on Facebook, I friended him. There’s a picture in one of his albums of his visit to Disneyland in California when he was still young.

Hi everyone! Just saw this documentary and as a filmmaker it has left an open soar in my heart. I want to help any of these children, not young adults — in any way that I can! Please email me if you have any updates on Macarona. Wow! WOW! WOW!!! What a beautiful journey! This is as real as it gets! Macarona, you are always in my thoughts.

I saw a photo today of Macarena on Jodi Hilton’s website. I don’t know how old it is, but it does appear to be relatively recent.

How can I help?
Does any one know an organization or charity that I can donate to?
Also, does any one know any recent updates on Violeta Rosu(Macarena)?

German Tellez,

Before making any donation to any romanian charity organization, please consider this..

I was one of them, not part of the gang but living nearby.
I know their life as I`ve been there since I was 12 Luckily, I never used drugs, therefore noone controlled me.
I can tell you today, that I learned all from the streets and today I`m proud of me. I always look back to when I was hungry, alone, on the street, and believe me or not, this is the only thing in the world that makes me cry. I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world watching this movie and it breaks my heart.
My only regret is that I went to school for only three years. I`m calling my self a “trei clase”, as you can see on my personal blog: treiclase. ro/2008/09/street-children-whose­-responsibility/ I hope this wont be considered spam.
Now, speaking about the curch and charity, ONGs/NPO, they don`t give a damn about those people, they are just claiming the benefits. In fact, they make the situation worse, as they don`t encourage the people to save their lives or do something for themself. Imagine their business without those people on the streets. Same with the great Church, they get donations and ask people to help them, but when I was Street Child and I went to church, they kicked me out because…I smelled badly!

If you really want to get involved, make sure you help the children, not the multimilionaire who take advantage on their pain.

All the best!

The voice of reason, nobody gives a shit about them here, the ones that say otherwise and ask for money to buy fancy cars, opsie. I mean ‘help the kids’ are the worst.

That scene is so heart moving. I am shocked that a grown man could do that to a young girl, but love how chritina steps in the best she can….even through all her pain, she still did what was right.

I am in no way religious but god bless all the children in this documentary and the countless others like them.

i watchhed the welldressed peopled walking past the children. they seemed indifferent. i know things were bad in romanla at the time.
maybe parts of the world are overwhelmed by tragic needs of so many.
you who were those underground children, if you are leading better lives today, be proud of yourselves.
good wishes and prayers for you all.

I noticed how no one tried to help these kids, I’m sure someone tried to help on occasion, but everyone walking by and not doing anything when the one man was beating Macarena, I would have kicked the sht out of that guy but no one does anything, their too worried about surviving day to day themselves, I do understand that most of Romania is very poor and getting poorer everyday, I also think that the so called Priest was just as bad as the rest, and you could tell he just stopped so he could get his 5 seconds of fame and when he leaves he says to them “May god Help you” what he should have followed it up with is “May god help you, because no one including the church are going to help you”, what a pompous dck. One strange thing was that several of them as young as they were could read and write, but yet here in the US were to lazy to learn and go to school so we have adults that never learn how to read or write, It says something about us/U.S.A. I noticed they sent Ana home but they sent the brother to a home, you could tell when they met with the parents the first time that they really didn’t want them around, and the so called “stepfather” that “bathes” her and knows for a fact that she’s still a virgin, after 2 years on the street and he “Knows” this I think he’s a sick fck and was molesting/ raping Ana and that’s why she left, and with the one boy that they interviewed his Father and the Father says “I never beat him” oh but by the way I chained him to the fckn radiator and he didn’t like that for some reason and ran away with the chain on his neck, one thing how tight do you have to lock a chain on someones neck so they can’t slip it off??? These people are so Dysfunctional they can’t even take care of themselves let alone children, I think the a-hole that made this documentary could have done SOMETHING besides try to improve their situation. I don’t know about anyone else but if I see someone/ ANYONE BEATING A CHILD OR TEENAGE GIRLS OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER I WILL PERSONALLY BREAK MY FOOT OFF SO FAR UP THEIR ASS THEIR BREATH WOULD SMELL LIKE SHOE POLISH, I realize this is the wrong message to send people but I’m always for the under dog and if I can stop someone from being beat, I will do it. I could go on but I won’t, the sad thing is that most of those kids are long since dead or locked up.

But please keep in mind the 5 children we were shown are 5 in thousands on the streets. I too would have liked to have seen more but in all honesty their hands are tied. The person who filmed this documentary showed us a fraction of what is happening. I commend them for that.
Every nation is experiencing the same thing or something worse. Go to YouTube and look up videos of something called the dying room. This is a look of the horrific things happening in China. There is a series of videos taking you behind the scenes of Chinese state ran homes and yes, you will see a child left in a room, alone, uncleaned, not fed nor given water. She lived for 4 days after she was filmed. There was nothing that could be done. She was known as me Ming which means no name.
There are so many needing help. I know it’s hard to not get angry because nothing is being done but where does one start and how do you chose which child to help?
The director gave us insight into 5 kids in Romania and I feel they should be commended for that. Here in America there are kids just as in need. Begin by acting at home. It’s a start and perhaps, just maybe if we act the trend will spread and through our initial actions maybe we can make a difference. It takes a first step.

Although I have to agree. If I got my hands on Anas stepfather he would be beaten to an inch of his life..if I was being charitable. Chances are he would be in agony while I watched him die….lousy POS. Her mother said nothing. I wonder if she was afraid of him…if that happened to my daughters I would carve the bastards dick to look like a toothpick

None of the main children profiled in this documentary are dead or locked up..and that is a good thing to know. Children and people in general..can be far more resilient than most people realize..and apparently this WAS the case..with these particular children..who are now all adults. You can find Mihai, Ana and Marian..all on facebook. And..you can get information about Cristina and Macarena..from them as well.

I lived in Bucharest, Romania from 2003-2005 off and on when I met my husband in Romania. The longest I lived there was a little over a year. I remember seeing children in the subways and I tried to help when I could, giving them good, or water, or candy. I am not wealthy by any means, and if i was, or had been, I would have certainly done a WHOLE lot more. I have become friends with Mihai Tudose, and he is a remarkable young man, just as he was an amazing boy on the documentary. Macarena also touched my heart, as did Marian and Ana. I have been hoping to see something on Macarena, as Mihai, Marian and Ana atleast have FB pages that show how they are doing. Cristina as well really touched my heart. I have recently seen a video from ProTV news, that was talking about the horrible heroin use in Bucharest among the homeless. Cristina as a matter of fact spoke on camera. This news video was done as of October 3, 2012.
I pray daily for children and adults as well who have no homes, to find help and peace in their lives. And I wish there was ANYTHING I could do to help. :(
I remember one day while living in Bucharest, and I gave a young boy a loaf of bread, a bottle of water and 30,000 LEI in the subway on my way to work, the look in his eyes of sheer thanks made me cry, bc I wished so bad I could do more than a loaf of bread and a bottle of water as well as 30,000 LEI to get him more food later. I hope he did use it on food. Like I said, i did this as often as I could. :(

I am in disbelief that I was not shown this while studying film in college. It is an emazing story about so much. Hope and tragedy, god and faith. I am left grateful for what I have and the yearning to do something for the people who may not be as fortunate.

Hello,
I watched the documentation only recently and was touched, too. I’m very happy for Mihai and and seems, Ana and Marian are also fine :)

What I don’t understand, is that so many people write, how they don’t understand how ANYONE could walk by these poor kids, while most of them probably do the same in their town.
I am sure that many people here really do help them or try, but I’ve read so many comments (not only here), how people would adopt Macarena and help her. It seems she is seen sometimes, so why isn’t she taken by all those nice persons? Because they really just talk, and that’s all they can do. I’m not saying that I would do more, but at least I don’t say all those nice things while sitting in my nice apartment, safe and sound, and feel better about my words, which didn’t help anyone. If they really wanted to help, they would have many possibilities to help homeless people in their own coutry (U.S., Germany, whereever).

It’s true it’s a bit easier in industial countries, but still every homeless person here needs help, too. People don’t do anything, because they don’t feel like helping when they give some money to one person, but of course they can’t give to everyone. Or for other reasons. Some are just greedy, of course.

All I wanted to say is, that many hyprocrites write in these forums, how they would help, and hate the people who don’t help. But in truth they don’t do shit for other people in front of their nose, who need help, too. This talking pisses me off.

I in no way want to offend the people, who really are helping or trying to help. I respect them a lot.

And I wonder, if you guys think like me or if you think, “bless everyone who is touched by these children”, although many of them promise they would like to help, but in truth do nothing. Waiting for answers.

I think you’re missing an important element here. Most people, including myself, just want to help Macarena for the fact she was, at one time, a cute young girl.

The apparently altruistic messages punctuating this forum in particular are dotted with sexual fantasy and outright delusion. The truth is, nobody wants to help anyone. I might hand out dollar bills to a homeless veteran by the highway on my way to work, but I do that comfortably within the knowledge I will make many more dollars while I’m there. The handout offers mild relief to my own guilt for how I have mistreated Macarena for all these years, selling her short on an internet forum for hits while she has never even heard of me – as I literally profit from her demise.

The others type a mean talk but, just like myself, have probably never invited a homeless person into his own home, offered him a warm bed, or a piece of bread. We save that for the ducks at the pond. They deserve it for being cute, and for not making us feel guilty because we don’t have it within ourselves to understand the pain in their blank, stupid eyes. Ducks are the Macarenas of America, and we like to feed them, anthropomorphically imagining them to be like us, and to own them and revel in the bliss of providing everything to them with all the effort it takes to drop a dog dish on the floor before class in the morning. To own her, and take credit for her well-being.

And we can’t even do that. So we write about it on the internet, blaming others who also can’t, as if that was the “right” thing to do anyway.

I don’t know how to “reply”, so new post:

Thanks for your answer, Raghubir Goyal. It seems very honest. I agree with most of what you said. Although I don’t want to see the world THAT pessimistic, where no one wants to help anyone. For most people it is true though… I think.

Conclusion: I still believe people don’t deserve to feel better about themselves by judging the passengers in the film or even the filmmaker (she did a whole lot for the children with her film AND by not stepping into fights, read interview: http://www.indiewire.com/article/interview_edet_belzbergs_children_underground_brings_the_lives_of_romanian_ ). And the filmmaker got peoples attention on the problem of homeless children in romania, like someone said Mihai was even adopted because of it, and that’s so much more than some stupid “altruistic” comment or prayer or whatever.

http://casajurnalistului . ro/strada-cristinei/
this is an article about Cristina.It says that she’s 31 years old,and still living on the streets.She’s married with a guy,that was really sick during the making of the article.she was still doing drugs and she has 3 children raised by someone else.

That’s not true I’ve watched documentaries about the diamond trade in Sierra Leone and the effects on children and was just as deeply affected I have sent money to charities that are legit in helping.

I’m a Romanian and U.S. citizen, father of 4 children. I’m shocked. Where are the cops? Where are the politicians? Romanian Politicians! Do You hear Me? You all deserve to go in hell! This are children, unprotected by Romanian laws. Romanian laws are made for gangs, thieves, and corrupted politicians. I’ve been in Romania of 2013 and nothing changed. Stelian Bogdan, Endicott, N.Y.

I got on here after bbc posted something about old romainia photographs and i just thought about the kids in the documentary. i think the documentary is so good everyone who watches it will have these kids in the back of thier minds. there is always peace corps.

You are a creep pedophile Frank and should be removed from the internet. “I guess there are not enough rich horny men willing to scoop up the sob stories in Romania like there are here in America. So hey…I’ll take her. But, what can I do?” <= what does that even mean? I hope you burn in hell with your dick shoved up your asshole you piece of donkey shit.

Cum visit us anytime for your shopping convenience of humans or anything else your dick desires.

Excuse my bad english, I’am german. This film is the most shocking I ever seen. Today I watched the film again and searched Ana, Marian and Mihai. Have found them on Facebook. I’m so glad to see them doing well.

Someone asked where are the Romanian cops & politicians in all this? I’ll tell you, I was angry as hell at the priest in the Children Underground documentary! I couldn’t believe what he said! He basically got the kids to admit that they want to live on the street and then said, “Tell that to the Americans that you want to live on the street.” Is that priest an idiot? Or is it Romanian culture that even 8 yr old children have the right to decide for themselves where they want to live? Children of any culture should not have the right to decide where they want to live and be allowed to do so! And parents who allow their children to get away with that, should be tried, convicted & thrown in jail! I can’t understand the idiot parents saying, “Oh, there’s nothing I can do about it; my 10 yr old & 8 yr old want to live on the street.” Start prosecuting the parents & they’ll stop making such idiotic remarks…Guaranteed!

Hello I just wondering how are Children underground doing like Christina and Marian and Ana and Macarenta, Mihai doing today 2018??? Where are they now? let me know. Thanks

I wondering what happened to Cristina lonescu and Macarena doing? I hope they are doing ok. I feel sorry for them not able put their feet together find place to live and get income like working job or get on government income. If anyboby heard from them please let me know. Praying for them.

If you watch this in 2019 I have a few updates: Ana, Mihai, Macarena, Marian are alive.

Cristina is living on the streets still homeless and is very sick from HIV and hepatitis. From an interview in 2015 ( Link here in english https://casajurnalistului.ro/cristinas-street/ ) ” In the ‘Children Underground’ documentary, Cristina was saying that she wants someone to stand by her. She was 17 at the time and had just started doing heroin. She fell in love with a boy, with whom she had her three children. Then he left her. He’s no longer living on the streets. He never asks about the children, either.”

Mihai lives in Belgium struggling to find employment. Here is a message from his facebook page
“Hi everyone! I would like to inform you a bit about my life.I’m getting lots of messages every day and I can’t respond to everyone.I don’t have the internet and the time required to write to each one.
I live in Belgium and I still struggle to find work.Because I used to live on the street, I thought I’d be perfect to work in an organization that deals with homelessness, only that I was not accepted in the team.They consider my a reserve.
I want very much to work, I’d do anything, only to work and I could survive it.I want to be able to pay the rent and to have food every day.
I don’t want to ask anymore and i do not want to search through garbage for food.
I pray and hope that I will not wait too long for that to happen.
Pray for me, please.
Thank you so much!
”

Macarena developed a mental retardation from the harsh conditions on the streets, abuse, and the “aurolac” drug, she is now an adult living with a child’s mind. Here is a picture of her https://jodihilton.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Romania-Homeless-Youth-Underground/G0000TUEDZAYBV6o/I0000AjiNvRKpoHs .

Ana and Marian have facebook pages, Ana posts regularly and looks healthy, Marian posted last time on facebook around 2011 where he seemed healthy and had a workplace listed

Its 2020 now and I would like to also contact the local social workers if you have their information? I would like to help her financially. I hope you’re still keeping an eye on this page

Geno here again. I spoke with Mihai and we even did a video chat and smoked a cigarette together. We talked about himself and Macarena. He has not spoken with her since 2018 as she does not use Facebook or any other social media often. We don’t believe she has a smartphone as well. She has a boyfriend now but is still homeless. Having seen private but recent pictures of her sent to me by Mihai it is clear that while she has found some sense of stability– she is still homeless. She now has a very strong love for Michael Jackson. She dresses like him and dances like him on stage and boy can she dance! I was told I should not share these pictures or videos as they are private. But please know that as of 2018 she is alive still and that Mihai will be helping me locate her so I can send some financial aid. I will keep you all posted.

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