"It is hard labour in really harsh conditions.
They should be playing in a playground.
They should be having fun.”
The documentary series Tales By Light follows Simon and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom on their journey through Dhaka, Bangladesh. The film shares the stories of the lives of children living in the slums on the edge of a busy railway track, and trading school for work to support their families.
Simon’s moving photographs take viewers to the frontline of what it’s like to be one of these children working in hazardous conditions such as in balloon factories. It’s ironic, Orlando says, that balloons represent such joy and happiness at kids’ birthday parties.
“These kids, do you think they have ever had a birthday party?"