Born Into Brothels

Wow.

This documentary is heartbreaking, inspiring, hopeful, and haunting.  English Photographer Zana Briski befriended a group of children whose mothers worked as prostitutes in the Red Light district of Calcutta.  Noticing their immediate interest in cameras, Briski began to teach the children photography, hoping that giving them a means to pursue art and education might enable them to build a better life than what the Red Light district had to offer.

This film was difficult to watch, yet spellbinding.  The daily abuse that these beautiful children suffer shakes my soul.  In such a situation, hope seems the farthest concept in the universe.  Yet it is there.  Some of the children featured in this film have left Calcutta and pursued education.  Some have fallen through the cracks.  The harsh reality of life for these people is hard to swallow, but the resilience and strength of the children is a beautiful thing.