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BORN INTO BROTHELS Send This Review to a Friend
Children raised in the seedy brothels of Calcutta have the odds impossibly stacked against them, but even so, with dedicated effort, some may be helped out of the mire. “Born into Brothels,” a documentary by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski, recounts a most unusual tale. Briski, in trying to improve the lot of children she encounters, teaches them photography, and it is quite amazing how some children find the camera a way of expression that helps them transform the course of their lives.
In the process their photos become an important part of the total film, which focuses on the human condition and the problems faced. In her efforts to change lives, Briski runs up against various obstacles, of which poverty is only one. There is resistance by some mothers to the idea of letting their children go away to school. Some youngsters have the stamina to try, others are weighed down by their environment.
“Born into Brothels” is both uplifting and sad. The possibility of rescuing even one child is cause for rejoicing. But the odds are so great that at every step of the way Briski must battle to succeed. As well as inspiring children, she too has been inspired and has formed a foundation called Kids With Cameras.
The film recounts the experiences she has and introduces us to various children, mothers and relatives in the world of prostitution, in which it is so easy for a young girl to sink into following in the footsteps of her mother. The film is made without flourishes. Some of it is quite raw technically, but what does come through sharply is the mission, with its emotional rewards as well as the heartbreak. A THINKFilm release.
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