Born Into Brothels

1. Born Into Brothels A film by Ross Kaufman & ZanaBriski Reviewed by Emily Olafsen for HDFS 892

2. Kauffman, R. & Briski, Z. (Producers & Directors). (2004). Born into brothels (Motion picture). United States: THINKFilm.

3. Children’s Photography “As soon as I walked into the brothels, I saw the children.” – ZanaBriski • NYC based photographer ZanaBriski teaches a photography class to several boys (Avijit, Manik, & Gour) and girls (Puja, Kochi, Shanti, Suchitra, & Tapasi) who live in Calcutta brothels with their families • The children are provided with point and shoot cameras and film, and are encouraged to capture their neighborhood and the people around them. • Briski teachers her students about capturing, producing, editing, and presenting their images. • Briski then sells the children’s photos to Amnesty International for a calendar, and the photos are auctioned off at Sotheby’s in New York City. The money raised is used to help the children.

4. Environmental Factors “I know what she does for work and I feel bad talking about these things.” -Tapasi • Children are not only around drugs, alcohol, and prostitution, but many of them are forced to do chores (cleaning, cooking, collecting payments) related to these illegal and dangerous behaviors. • One girl described the sheet shielding her view of her mother “working”, while a young boy told of his father’s addiction to hashish. • The children are often verbally berated by their parents or others who live in their building. • While taking photos of their environments, many of the children experience harsh criticism and backlash, though they seem to understand and appreciate the importance of their continued documentation. • The children, and sometimes their parents, express concern over the possibility of following in the footsteps of their family members and neighbors.

5. Education “No place is the right place. Nobody will take them. That’s the problem.” – a Nun speaking to Briski • Many of the children have little access to education, and those who do are often faced with the challenge of attending school while helping support their families. • Briski uses the money earned from the sale of the children’s photographs to find placements for them at boarding schools. Boarding schools are preferable in order to keep the children away from the dangers of the brothels. • The process of finding a school that will accept children of criminals is long and arduous. The necessary paperwork is hard to obtain—piles of paper are stacked seemingly unorganized on the shelves in the office disbursing key documents—and expensive medical testing is also required as HIV positive children are not accepted into the boarding schools. • Even after the correct paperwork has been obtained and filled, and boarding schools are found to accept most of the children, convincing their families to let them leave the home is another challenge.

6. Outcomes “There is nothing called ‘hope’ in my future.” –Avijit • Despite the help and support of Briski, the children have trouble escaping their lives in the brothel, though some are successful. • Tapasi ran away from home and went to the Sanlaap school for girls. • Suchitra’s aunt refused to let her leave the brothel. • Avijit went to the Future Hope school, and, although he was accepted, Manik’s father would not permit him to attend. • Gour lives at home and hopes to go on to a university. • Kochi, Puja, and Shanti were placed at the Sabera school. • Puja was withdrawn from the school by her mother and Shanti left on her own accord; Kochi stayed in school and is happy.

7. Highly Recommended This movie provides a unique look into the lives of children and their families living in the brothels of Calcutta. Growing up in a secretive community, relying upon anonymity and law-breaking for their livelihood, the children learn to endure great hardships and fend for themselves. I would definitely recommend this film to Youth Development professionals as it is eye-opening and hard-hitting, while still providing hope for the future of our global youth. The portrayal of Briski and her relationship with the children is inspiring and provides insight into the challenges and of working with youth from another country, while highlighting the many positives.