Saturday, May 07, 2005
Born Into Brothels (2004)
Director: Zana Briski & Ross Kauffman
* Warning the following analysis contains a discussion of the entire film – including the ending.
Born into Brothels is an engrossing film documenting the lives of a dozen or so Indian children born and living in the brothels of Calcutta’s slums. Can the interest of a British photographer, Zana Briski, make a difference in their lives?
The main effect of the film (for me), aside from my amazement glimpsing a world previous unknown, was to cause reflection upon the privilege and opulence of our own society so easily forgotten, so easily unappreciated. Those us who are merely median income middle class are blind to our own abundance as we live in a society hyperaware of those more prosperous. Appreciate and be aware were the messages I took from the film as I walked home contemplating.
In Born Into Brothels Zana Briski, a philanthropic British photojournalist, has provided cameras and photography lessons to a group of a dozen or so Indian children. These children capture their own starling lives: 10 year olds living in the poverty, dysfunction and hopelessness of a Calcutta brothel. The film merely presents what they themselves have documented.
Perhaps the most emblematic and emotionally poignant moment comes after the children’s beach outing organized by Zana. On the beach we see the children become, well, children, playing with the unbridled joy of any ten-year-olds in the sand and waves. This joy is matched in degree by the oppressive hopelessness experienced upon returning home to the overcrowded Calcutta slums. We witness the children walking past lines of men in front of the brothels that are the children’s homes, and we realize how overwhelming the odds are any of these children will escape this destitute life.
The hope and drama of the film revolves around Zana’s attempts to get the children into good schools and potentially on a path away from the brothel work they are otherwise destine to enter. She succeeds in the short term, using all her influence, education and money to get these children no wants into the best Calcutta schools. Yet in the end we cannot say that Zana has succeeded. The final title cards tell us the vast majority of the kids whom she fought for have been withdrawn from school by their parents. (I believe only 1 of the kids was still in school by the time the film wrapped.) The majority of the children were headed toward life in the brothels. Even with Zana’s diligent effort and her success bringing the story of these children to world attention there seems very little hope the children will ever escape from Calcutta’s red light slums.
So very sad.
Should you see it? Yes, so you can appreciate at home and become aware abroad.
* Warning the following analysis contains a discussion of the entire film – including the ending.
Born into Brothels is an engrossing film documenting the lives of a dozen or so Indian children born and living in the brothels of Calcutta’s slums. Can the interest of a British photographer, Zana Briski, make a difference in their lives?
The main effect of the film (for me), aside from my amazement glimpsing a world previous unknown, was to cause reflection upon the privilege and opulence of our own society so easily forgotten, so easily unappreciated. Those us who are merely median income middle class are blind to our own abundance as we live in a society hyperaware of those more prosperous. Appreciate and be aware were the messages I took from the film as I walked home contemplating.
In Born Into Brothels Zana Briski, a philanthropic British photojournalist, has provided cameras and photography lessons to a group of a dozen or so Indian children. These children capture their own starling lives: 10 year olds living in the poverty, dysfunction and hopelessness of a Calcutta brothel. The film merely presents what they themselves have documented.
Perhaps the most emblematic and emotionally poignant moment comes after the children’s beach outing organized by Zana. On the beach we see the children become, well, children, playing with the unbridled joy of any ten-year-olds in the sand and waves. This joy is matched in degree by the oppressive hopelessness experienced upon returning home to the overcrowded Calcutta slums. We witness the children walking past lines of men in front of the brothels that are the children’s homes, and we realize how overwhelming the odds are any of these children will escape this destitute life.
The hope and drama of the film revolves around Zana’s attempts to get the children into good schools and potentially on a path away from the brothel work they are otherwise destine to enter. She succeeds in the short term, using all her influence, education and money to get these children no wants into the best Calcutta schools. Yet in the end we cannot say that Zana has succeeded. The final title cards tell us the vast majority of the kids whom she fought for have been withdrawn from school by their parents. (I believe only 1 of the kids was still in school by the time the film wrapped.) The majority of the children were headed toward life in the brothels. Even with Zana’s diligent effort and her success bringing the story of these children to world attention there seems very little hope the children will ever escape from Calcutta’s red light slums.
So very sad.
Should you see it? Yes, so you can appreciate at home and become aware abroad.
