Born into Brothels

Born into Brothels is a 2004 documentary film based in Kulkata, India. The film revolves around the lives of the children of sex workers living in the red light district. This film was written and directed by Zana Briski, a documentary photographer. Throughout the film she teaches the children about cameras and photography. She introduces them to a new passion which gives them an escape from their reality. Throughout the film we get to see the daily struggles that these children face. It was very difficult to watch at times, seeing the verbal abuse they endured and fearing the future they faced.

I was happy to see how committed Zana was to giving these children better lives. Watching her struggle to get them tested, getting their paperwork, and get them accepted into boarding schools was very inspiring, but it was disheartening to see that in the end, many of them were pulled out of school but I feel that the lessons the lessons they learned from Zana will stay with them forever.

The part of the film that touched me is when Briski felt the need to help these children find schools and set them up for a better life before she left. She wanted to do as much as she could during her time there to help these children she so closely connected to. I am an advocate for young girls in developing countries that do not have access to healthcare, safety against violence, and education. This documentary especially touched my heart because it just shows much help India really needs as a country. I think this part of the film is a very good example of the help so many people should want to give to the young children living in the red light district.

Do YOU think there is a problem with spending resources to film this documentary when there are children who could use that money to attain a better life? If not, are YOU doing something about it with the education you have learned from this film to help these children?