Children are born with an innocence and curiosity that is often lost as they face the realities of daily life. For many children harsh truths breach their worlds at too tender an age. Watching these children express their desire to thrive or, more plainly, live is a learning experience for us all. A riveting series of films has emerged at this year's Mead—that of the unique perspective of children and how they persevere against all odds. Kim Longinotto's Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go chronicles emotionally disturbed children sent to a last resort boarding school in England. Alexandra Westmeier's Alone in Four Walls portrays several Russian teenagers imprisoned at a reform school. In March Point, Annie Silverstein allows three troubled Native American teens to speak for themselves as they fight for environmental rights. Closer to home, Nursery University, by Mark Simon and Matthew Makar, follows a group of young parents as they enter the maelstrom of finding the perfect pre-school for their toddlers. Whether heart-breaking or uplifting or both, these films remind us that these children who will inherit our world are already living deep within it. This series also includes: Bomb Harvest and Gandhi's Children.