Born Into Brothels Documentary

605 Words2 Pages

The documentary Born Into Brothels follows a group of children growing up in the red light district of Calcutta. As their mothers are prostitutes, these children lack opportunities for education and the young girls are pressured to follow the same career as their mothers. Photographer Zana Briski teaches these children photography and tries to help them get an education and escape their life in the red light district. She faces several obstacles from the administrators of the schools, the parents, and the children themselves. Despite these obstacles, the children find happiness in their photography, and even display some photos in an exhibit, attracting the attention of the locals. In the end, Briski manages to help some of the children get …show more content…

The influence the parents have and the lack of institutional help creates a very rigid path ahead of the children. Their vulnerability and lack of education leads to a greater chance that they will stay in poverty, which increases their vulnerability and decreases their chances of getting an education. In addition to this, the fact that some of them were reluctant to leave means they become indoctrinated into this lifestyle at a very young age. It is hard to imagine something else when you only know one way of life. This speaks to the psychological nature of trafficking and the multiple factors that influence a person’s state of captivity beyond where they physically are. However, fact that some of the children were able to escape means that these children can be saved. This is especially evident in Avijit’s story. He went on to become a film major at NYU, showing the world that any child can have the talent and potential to find success. As was emphasized in the film Invisible Children, they can be extraordinarily resilient. The use of photography was important as well because it introduced a creative way to give these children a small amount of control over their lives. Like the jewelry making in Not For Sale, teaching children photography adds a personal element to helping vulnerable people. This kind of unique solution is just as valuable as government programs or donations in helping those at risk of or victims of

Open Document