Born into brothels
So we watched the seemingly endless list of " I would like to thank....." at the grand gala Oscars on Sunday. And though for a portion of us living worlds away, who got hooked perhaps just to see how The Miliion Dollar baby vs Aviator would fare, there was a surprise.
The Oscar this year for the best documentary film went to Born into brothels.
Zana Briski is an American photographer who arrived in Calcutta, India with her collaborator Ross Kauffman. They were on a mission to film prostitution in Calcutta's (in)famous Sonagachi red light area.
Now in a place like this, lives behind curtains and walls are not for everyone to see, let alone be filmed. A couple of American photographers with cameras is something that gets avoided like the plague.
But what moves them is the lives of children born to these prostitutes. The photographers befriend these children and teach them photography.
A lot of pictures in the film are taken by these children.
In India, with a buzzing middle class, a booming economy and an executive class, these children almost seem to live in a parallel universe. From which there seems to be no exit . Life without an intermission.
Courageous, wickedly funny sometimes and just plain naive like most other children, they make these pictures and mark favorites with a crayon. The girls almost resigned to what they know will be fate. The boys who want to save friends.
This film defines life for some people you may never meet. Yet it will tug at your heart, these children will almost call out to you.
When they begin to see the grim and bleakness around them through their own eyes, they also begin to respect themselves some more.
And that perhaps is very important given the way these kids get treated in a society that looks down at them, a society that does not let these children go to school with their own smug, legitimate children.
When they comprehend the harsh realities of existence, and when a stranger walks into their lives and decides to make it better, this film undoubtedly validates the triumph of the human spirit that dances and smiles despite the odds.
It is a film that will be applauded by any audience. A film that reflects the difference an individual can make.
Truly, the power of one.
posted by Prat @ 11:18 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
any idea wher I can get my hands on this movie
I have seen parts of the movie and it is profound. am waiting to see the whole thing. you can pre-order it on amazon.com but not sure if the DVD settings are compatible with players in India
Pingu, Madamoiselle, there is sure seems to be a lot to do. Possibilities are endless.
Kishore, maybe you can get in touch with collective chaos, they have a web site: http://www.collectivechaos.org/
Jessica, yup profound seems like the right word.
In another two days we celebrate "International women's day" and if u ask the so called successful middleclass or the high class society if they know abt any such documentary film they would put a blank face.Unfortuantely the film won an award for a harsh reality which i wish never existed atall.Kids,god,wehich world u r throwing them into.Instead of money wihs we can do something more.Wish the feeling of doing something stays longer than for the time when we read abt it.
This is a movie that I definitely do want to watch. Unfortunately, movies like this get attention at the Oscars but very difficult to get you hands on them, let alone catch them in a hall. Hope I get to see it soon.
Thanks for dropping by my blog and for the link. Have linked to you as well. Look forward to seeing you around.
cool.. have u seen the movie? i remember seeing another post somewhere else, which was about how on earth the producers could come in here, spend 2 weeks in calcutta, and film ALL their lives - and whether it was not really an exercise in third world exploitation. interesting, really, to see all the different sides of the coin. ;-) (not necessarily two, either!)
Neelima, yes food for thought, that.
.:a:., that is so true. Atleast where we live.
Pleasure & same here! Thanks!
Jen see, the program initiated is called Kids with cameras. Absolutely powerful idea. Thanks for stoppping by.
Livinghigh, well, thats one way of looking at it too. But no matter what, I hope the kids get their turn to a good life. In the end, thats all that matters, no?
For someone who has stayed in Calcutta for over 4 yrs - the city grows on u .. its got a variety that a mere passerby would never be able to see...its slow but its not dead.. its beauty is classic - the sunrise at the ganges in the background of the bridges, its big maidans still there for people to play in .. the victoria, the belur math,the greenery , the crowd, writers block, the children of sonagachi... u got to be there, stay there.. roam through its street to feel the city live...this is the city that Mother Teresa adopted..a city which brings Steve Waugh to the children.. a city of multitude...a city of joy.. joy that these children of Sonagachi deserve...and as pointed out ... every one of us can make the difference...
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