A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York based photographer, gives each of these youngsters a camera and teaches them how to take pictures, simultaneously causing them to look at their world with new eyes. Together with Ross Kauffman, Briski captures the magical way in which beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places and how a bright and promising future becomes a possibility for children who previously had no future at all.
Touching and heartfelt, yet devoid of sentimentality, Born into Brothels defies the tear-stained tourist snapshot of the global underbelly. Briski spent years with these children and became a part of their lives. Their photographs are prisms into their souls, rather than anthropological curiosities, and a true testimony to the power of the indelible creative spirit.
2 comments:
This one missed the chance to make an important political statement: prostitution should be legalized. Kids can't go to school just because their mother is a "criminal". Cops and corrupt officials can blackmail and extort the women. There are pimps and rackets where evil wins. "Sorry kid, but we're putting you in foster homes and throwing your mom in jail." None of that happens in the 100+ countries where it's legal.
I don't agree with the above commenter - there are other ways to deal with the problem.
But what an incredible film. AFTER you've watched it, check the movie's website and find out what the kids are doing now!
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