Born into Brothels – SilverDocs 2004

What started as a hiatus from a long work weekend became a highlight during the SilverDocs Film Festival at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. We chose a remarkable documentary film called “Born into Brothels”, which chronicled the lives of a group of children, the offspring of the men and women in Calcutta brothel.

The film surprised, brought joy, and created tears while profiling the images captured by these children with their cameras. The story is brought to life by their teacher, Zana Briski, a New York photographer who went to Calcutta and lived in the neighborhood off and on for several years. She became close to these children and began to teach them the art of photography in a world where there is little hope, and the expectation is that both the boys and girls will eventually ‘join the line’ as their parents and grandparents have done before them.

The surprising images captured by the kids, of scenes in the street, themselves, and their world shows that no matter where, children are our arbiters of light. ‘Zana Auntie’ moves within their lives and brings promise in the form of recognition for their art, and a vehicle to help them attend school, their only hope for escape from the lives of sex workers. The childerns’ observations, their joy, and their despair all come through, with a cognition that is astounding….young eyes and old souls.

This is a film that is both thought-provoking and joyful. It is due to be released in the Spring of 2005 and I highly recommend seeing it. In the meantime, to learn more about this group of children and to bear witness to their artistry, visit Kids With Cameras.