Synopsis

“I wish I can kiss them goodnight every night.”

Juxtaposing Hong Kong’s luxurious skyline with heart-breaking footage of migrant domestic workers, The Helper captures the workers’ lives and dreams. Often seen as the second mother in many homes, helpers are ironically separated from their own families. But they endure as a way out of poverty, wishing for a better future for their loved ones. Each year, thousands of women come to Hong Kong from some of the poorest regions of Southeast Asia in search of employment. These women and their sacrifices are the focus of a new documentary from Hong Kong-based filmmaker Joanna Bowers.

The Unsung Heroes is a choir of 50 domestic helpers preparing for their debut performance at Hong Kong's largest music festival, Clockenflap. The helpers sing a heartfelt harmony before the audience – the voices of real people with real stories.