Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids; a documentary

Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids; a documentary released in the year of 2004 was mind-blowing and fascinating. I upon stumbling across it on my ONDemand via digital cable became interested. I did my research on Wikipedia just to see what it was about. I've watched the documentary and it blew me away. When watching "Born into Brothels" you get acquainted to some degree of the general life of a child born in the brothels.

Zana Briski introduces the children to photography because taking pictures in the red-light district as a stranger is very hard to do without stirring up a riot upon the families who reside/work there. Soon the viewer of this powerful documentary see that photography gives them an escape from the lives they live surrounded by sex, liquor, filth and poverty.

One of the girls Zana Briski has taught photography is taken into prostitution. In the documentary it is referred to with the infamous name as "the line" because the women line up outside of the brothels trying to make a quick buck to feed their family.

Each kid tries to find their identity outside of the red-light district. They worry about their futures. These kids are a tight knit group. Each child worries for the other. They hope that one day they can escape the vicious cycle of the red-light district. The male kids (3 boys) hope to rescue their female friends/sisters away. These boys know the older the girls get the closer they are to being put into "the line".

The female children want a life. They want an education as do the young boys. They’re very articulate on what they hope for, their dreams and ambitions. One child discusses how his father was well known but fallen to the feet of drugs. And he says "I'll try to still love him a little". Women on the streets tell the younger girls they will be seeing them soon on "the line". They soon get recognized for their photographs in galleries all around the world.

One quote that moved me was from one of the children;

"I used to want to be a doctor.
Then I wanted to become an artist.
There is nothing called "hope" in my future. "
~avijit

P.S. I strongly suggest that you rent this movie. Its worth viewing. I promise.