Born Into Brothels
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Originally written 4/30/07.
The film was written and directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman. Zana also starred in the film as the woman who helps these kids and gets them into photography. This film is the only movie these two have ever worked on, besides making guest appearances on other films and television shows. However, Ross Kauffman is currently in production as cinematographer and producer for his second film, Project Kashmir.
The premise of this emotional journey of a documentary is about Zana Briski’s time in Calcutta’s red light district. It's a dark poor area of India that is very well known for its prostitution. She originally came to the area to document the lives of the women there that are all often forced into prostitution since the age of around twelve years old. However, as she stays there, she starts to get to know the kids of the prostitutes, offers to give them all a camera and teaches them photography. The documentary follows these kids taking photographs and seeing what they capture with their cameras. She gives photography lessons to the kids. She even sets up art exhibits for the kids' works in New York and at a local book store in the area. These exhibits get these kids' photographs known out in the public, make the public aware of these kids, and help raised money to help get these kids out of the red light district.
Along with teaching them the art form of photography, Zana helps these kids by trying to provide them with a better life. She wants to get these kids out of the area and into a boarding school where they can get a proper education. It’s not a good place for them to grow up. All the girls, for sure, will grow up to be prostitutes. However, there are many struggles she must face. Often, the parents want the kids to stay with them in the brothels. They need them to help support the family. Finding a school that will accept these kids is a big challenge in itself. No schools want to accept them because of where these kids have grown up and the fact that they come from families of criminals (prostitution). However, once they do find a place for these kids that will accept them, they need all these documents and medical tests before they can be accepted.
One of the kids gets his photographs accepted at an art exhibition in Amsterdam where he is invited to attend. Zana goes through the struggle to get the kid over there, which includes getting him a passport. To do so, she has to deal with getting countless amounts of paperwork done that is a major hassle for her to do because of the complicated system they have in India. But in the end, she does, and he gets to go to the show. However, when coming back, his mother commits suicide. He then starts developing this attitude of not caring much about his photography. Zana is disappointed.
In the end, many of these kids are sent to a boarding school and pursue their new interest of photography. However, after spending some time at the school, many of these kids are taken out by their families and are brought back into the red light district. Apparently, many of their families needed and wanted these kids back, especially to help support their families. However, some of the kids do end up staying at the boarding schools, getting a proper eduction, having fun with photography, all away from the red light district, and will hopefully be on their way to a better life.
The filmmakers took the approach of this film in a very vérité style. They just documented what they experienced with theses kids. There are a few informal interviews here and there, but they feel part of the vérité style, like they stopped the kids for a moment in their lives in their environments to get these interviews. It all feels like we are there for the ride and are very well connected with the kids, mainly because the filmmakers have this big part in their lives and in the film, teaching them photography and helping these kids find a better life. It’s all told through from the perspective of the kids and Zana in a very mini-DV looking way while capturing the culture of India through the visuals and music presented in the film.
There is one sequence in the film where the kids get their photographs showcased in an art gallery in the area. The kids are very excited and proud of their work. Many of them are also really nervous. People get to see their work, get to know the kids, and know their stories from them and from their art. This event raises awareness and gets these kids noticed; kids that have gone through life thinking they are not worth much in the world. The event is also a way to get awareness of their issues and money to help the kids find a better life. It’s a fun event for the kids and a nice way to get some publicity and money to help them out.
Personally, I loved the film. I was totally hooked in the whole time and found it very sad what these kids have to go through. Having personally gone to many of these countries with kids that have to live like this, it always makes me sad and makes me feel lucky for how much I have. The film reminded me of those times that I have seen these kinds of conditions first hand. It was a truly wonderful act that Zana did for these kids. It makes me wish I could do something similar one day. It was very well put together, had a great story to share, and was very entertaining. However, it did have some slow spots, but other than that, it was great. I definitely recommend this film for others to see and I’m glad I purchase it.
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids is a documentary that takes a look into the children that live in the brothels of Calcutta, India. It was released in the United States on December 2004, although it did premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004 (Where it won the Audience Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize). The film won twelve other awards and was nominated for three more. Its most notable win was winner for Best Documentary at the 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005). It was all shot on mini-DV with a total runtime of 85 minutes and is rated R in the United States for sequences of strong language.
The film was written and directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman. Zana also starred in the film as the woman who helps these kids and gets them into photography. This film is the only movie these two have ever worked on, besides making guest appearances on other films and television shows. However, Ross Kauffman is currently in production as cinematographer and producer for his second film, Project Kashmir.
The premise of this emotional journey of a documentary is about Zana Briski’s time in Calcutta’s red light district. It's a dark poor area of India that is very well known for its prostitution. She originally came to the area to document the lives of the women there that are all often forced into prostitution since the age of around twelve years old. However, as she stays there, she starts to get to know the kids of the prostitutes, offers to give them all a camera and teaches them photography. The documentary follows these kids taking photographs and seeing what they capture with their cameras. She gives photography lessons to the kids. She even sets up art exhibits for the kids' works in New York and at a local book store in the area. These exhibits get these kids' photographs known out in the public, make the public aware of these kids, and help raised money to help get these kids out of the red light district.
Along with teaching them the art form of photography, Zana helps these kids by trying to provide them with a better life. She wants to get these kids out of the area and into a boarding school where they can get a proper education. It’s not a good place for them to grow up. All the girls, for sure, will grow up to be prostitutes. However, there are many struggles she must face. Often, the parents want the kids to stay with them in the brothels. They need them to help support the family. Finding a school that will accept these kids is a big challenge in itself. No schools want to accept them because of where these kids have grown up and the fact that they come from families of criminals (prostitution). However, once they do find a place for these kids that will accept them, they need all these documents and medical tests before they can be accepted.
One of the kids gets his photographs accepted at an art exhibition in Amsterdam where he is invited to attend. Zana goes through the struggle to get the kid over there, which includes getting him a passport. To do so, she has to deal with getting countless amounts of paperwork done that is a major hassle for her to do because of the complicated system they have in India. But in the end, she does, and he gets to go to the show. However, when coming back, his mother commits suicide. He then starts developing this attitude of not caring much about his photography. Zana is disappointed.
In the end, many of these kids are sent to a boarding school and pursue their new interest of photography. However, after spending some time at the school, many of these kids are taken out by their families and are brought back into the red light district. Apparently, many of their families needed and wanted these kids back, especially to help support their families. However, some of the kids do end up staying at the boarding schools, getting a proper eduction, having fun with photography, all away from the red light district, and will hopefully be on their way to a better life.
The filmmakers took the approach of this film in a very vérité style. They just documented what they experienced with theses kids. There are a few informal interviews here and there, but they feel part of the vérité style, like they stopped the kids for a moment in their lives in their environments to get these interviews. It all feels like we are there for the ride and are very well connected with the kids, mainly because the filmmakers have this big part in their lives and in the film, teaching them photography and helping these kids find a better life. It’s all told through from the perspective of the kids and Zana in a very mini-DV looking way while capturing the culture of India through the visuals and music presented in the film.
There is one sequence in the film where the kids get their photographs showcased in an art gallery in the area. The kids are very excited and proud of their work. Many of them are also really nervous. People get to see their work, get to know the kids, and know their stories from them and from their art. This event raises awareness and gets these kids noticed; kids that have gone through life thinking they are not worth much in the world. The event is also a way to get awareness of their issues and money to help the kids find a better life. It’s a fun event for the kids and a nice way to get some publicity and money to help them out.
Personally, I loved the film. I was totally hooked in the whole time and found it very sad what these kids have to go through. Having personally gone to many of these countries with kids that have to live like this, it always makes me sad and makes me feel lucky for how much I have. The film reminded me of those times that I have seen these kinds of conditions first hand. It was a truly wonderful act that Zana did for these kids. It makes me wish I could do something similar one day. It was very well put together, had a great story to share, and was very entertaining. However, it did have some slow spots, but other than that, it was great. I definitely recommend this film for others to see and I’m glad I purchase it.
✗ Brian
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