The Documentary for Bangladesh

Who is the last person the typical banker would want to loan money? Why, a poor person, of course. And which country's poor are the poorest? Surely the poor of Bangladesh are in the running. Clearly, then, Dr. Muhammad Yunus is not your typical banker. Yunus, founder of the Bangladeshi Grameen Bank, has lent more than $2 billion (at about $60 per loan) to his country's poor, mostly women. Gayle Ferraro's documentary "16 Decisions" explores how these loans have affected the lives of the Bangladeshi poor, in particular the life of one woman, Selina, an indentured servant as a young girl, wed in an arranged marriage at age 12, now mother of two children and recent loan recipient.

Like other women in receipt of loans, Selina attends regular meetings sponsored by the bank, where the women account for their financial expenses. These meetings are also a method of propagating a social charter that the bank has found useful in ensuring that the lives of the people are stable enough to pay back their loans. This charter, called the 16 Decisions, serves to promote healthier living conditions ("We shall build and use pit-latrines"; "We shall drink water from tubewells"), encourages pragmatic living ("We shall plan to keep our families small. We shall minimize our expenditures"), strengthens the community ("We shall always be ready to help each other"), and eradicates archaic customs ("We shall keep the center free from the curse of dowry. We shall not practice child marriage"). The women recite these decisions in unison at the meetings.

If this all seems a bit Orwellian, it's certainly for a good purpose. The loans from Yunus' bank have improved the quality of life of their recipients considerably, and the majority of the loans are paid off. Furthermore, Yunus asserts that the decisions were created by poor women themselves, not the bank.

More interesting than the actions of the bank, however, are the day-to-day lives of the Bangladeshi people. Selina is inadvertently charming -- shy at first, then warming up to the camera. As she describes her acceptance of her lot in life, her sacrificed desires and resignation are subtly yet unavoidably exposed. As interviews with her parents, husband, and in-laws flesh out the story of her life, her perseverance and patience become all the more apparent.

Ferraro's periodic voiceover is frequently redundant; her camera and subjects tell us all we need to know, and the film as a whole could use a little more dramatic impetus. But regardless, "16 Decisions" is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the Bangladeshi poor. It would be difficult to see their efforts to improve the conditions they live in and not feel compassion for their plight. Required viewing for all lenders.