Born Into Brothels is a documentary about the inspiring non-profit foundation Kids With Cameras, which teaches photography skills to children in marginalized communities. In 1998, New York-based photographer Zana Briski started photographing prostitutes in the red-light district of Calcutta. She eventually developed a relationship with their children, who were fascinated by her equipment. After several years of learning in workshops with Briski, the kids created their own photographs with point-and-shoot 35 mm cameras. Their images capture the intimacy and color of everyday life in the overpopulated sections of Calcutta. Proceeds from the sale of the children's photographs go to fund their future education.
This documentary is both sad and inspiring at the same time. The conditions that the children live in are horrible and their family situations are very bad to say the least. On the other hand, when the children are given cameras to take pictures of their lives, the resulting images are pretty amazing and uplifting. Despite the squalor they live in, they are still able to capture a temendous amount of beauty on film. The transformation that the kids make, once they have something to strive for, is pretty amazing. The special features includes a segment that shows what happened to the kids three years after filming stopped - it was a nice way to wrap up a great documentary. More information about the non-profit organization can be found here.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Zana Briski
I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment