The gift was made by the independent producer\/director Len Morris, Romano\u2019s friend of more than 30 years, with whom he collaborated on a trilogy of films focusing on children\u2019s human rights, Stolen Childhoods (2005), Rescuing Emmanuel (2009) and the just completed, The Same Heart, in which Romano was the Director of Photography.<\/p>\n
![\"Len](\"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/news\/files\/LenRobinA-1024x576.jpeg\")
<\/a>Len Morris, left, and Robin Romano filming at a school in Brazil.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cThis gift makes us stewards of Robin\u2019s legacy and dream,\u201d said Martha Bedard, vice provost of the UConn Libraries. \u201cWe are honored to make his work available to faculty and students studying human rights in Storrs, and to draw attention to the issues he championed to those around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
In physical terms, Romano\u2019s body of work showcases his mastery of his medium, his ability to capture children in poignant, often heart wrenching conditions, and the methodology behind his award-winning work, Morris asserts.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore importantly, as the result of his life\u2019s work 80 million fewer children are working in child labor, 40 million children who were forced to work like animals are now in schools and international laws have been passed to protect children,\u201d Morris says. \u201cIn short, Robin’s images changed minds, hearts, and the fueled the debate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The son of the artist and Works Progress Administration (WPA) muralist Umberto Romano, Robin began his career in documentaries as a producer and cameraman for Les Productions de Sagittaire in Montreal, where he worked on several series including 5 Defis and L’Oeil de L’Aigle.<\/p>\n
Among the organizations that have used his work are GoodWeave, the Global March Against Child Labour, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Free the Slaves, the International Labor Organization, Stop the Traffik, the Hunger Project, International Labor Rights Forum, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and Antislavery International. Organizations who sponsored or funded Romano\u2019s work will have the ability to use the images he created for them to continue their work and advocacy.<\/p>\n
Romano\u2019s documentaries have been widely recognized. The film The Harvest\/La Cosecha received a Special Achievement Award, from American Latino Media Arts\/ National Council of La Raza) in 2011, an honor he treasured, coming from the entire Latino community.<\/p>\n
![\"1433FN09](\"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/news\/files\/Child-Laborer-at-a-Gravel-Quarry-.jpg\")
<\/a>1433FN09
\u00a9ROMANO
10-Year-Old Child Laborer at a Gravel Quarry
Orissa, India
A young girl carries a basket filled with 40 pounds of rock on her head. During the course of a day she will carry over a ton of rock in 100 degree plus weather. Exposure to the rock dust from the grinder causes silicosis of the lungs and inevitably leads to respitory illness and sometimes death.<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Robin](\"https:\/\/blogs-dev.lib.uconn.edu\/news\/files\/Robin-in-Ghana-465x6201.jpg\")
<\/a>Robin Romano in Ghana.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The late U. Roberto (Robin) Romano was an accomplished photographer, award-winning filmmaker and human rights advocate who unflinchingly focused his eye and lens on children around the world capturing the violation of their rights. Since 2009, Romano had made a … Continue reading