Shaina Watrous, a 2009 graduate of High School South and a 2014 graduate of Princeton University, co-directed “Specks of Dust,” a documentary film that follows the fight against human trafficking in Varanasi, India. The film follows the lives of the extraordinary individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others find justice.
The film was screened April 23 at the Princeton University Art Museum. On April 25 at the Lewis Center for the Arts there was also a discussion on the themes of human rights, advocacy, and humility with the filmmakers as well as the three main characters of the film, Ajeet Singh, Santwana Manju, and their daughter, Barish.
After high school Watrous lived and worked for nine months as part of Princeton’s Bridge Year Program. “It changed everything,” she said of her experience. “India is part of my world now. I can’t abandon it.” Watrous deferred her enrollment to Princeton for a year to engage in public service.
She wrote grant applications, planned curriculum for students, and learned life lessons. She has studied filmmaking under the guidance of documentarian Emily Abt. Her past work includes short documentary “Lost Boy,” which followed a young man struggling with post-prison re-entry issues.
Watrous graduated from Princeton University in 2014 with a degree in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School. She is a regional field manager in Washington, D.C., with the Petey Greene Program, an organization that recruits, trains, and coordinates volunteer tutors to support the academic endeavors of incarcerated people.
Visit www.specksofdustfilm.com for more information.
