Born Into Brothels: Photographs by the Children of Calcutta
Briski, Zana (Photographer), New YOrk: Umbrage Editions, Inc., 2004. First edition. First edition [stated]/ Presumed first printing. Hardcover. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. 97 p. Illustrations. From WIkipedia: "Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids is a 2004 American documentary film about the children of prostitutes in Sonagachi, Kolkata's red light district. The widely acclaimed film, written and directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman, won a string of accolades including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2005. Briski, a documentary photographer, went to Calcutta to photograph prostitutes. While there, she befriended their children and offered to teach the children photography to reciprocate being allowed to photograph their mothers. The children were given cameras so they could learn photography and possibly improve their lives. The perspective shown through the children's photographs depicted a life in the red light district through the eyes of children typically overlooked and sworn off to do chores around the house until they were able to contribute more substantially to the family welfare. Much of their work was used in the film, and the filmmakers recorded the classes as well as daily life in the red light district. The children's work was exhibited, and one boy was even sent to a photography conference in Amsterdam. Briski also recorded her efforts to place the children in boarding schools although many of the children did not end up staying very long in the boarding schools they were placed in. Others, such as Avijit and Kochi not only went on to continue their education, but ended up attaining good grades out of it. There is debate about the extent to which the documentary has improved the lives of the children featured in it. The film-makers claim that the lives of children appearing in Born into Brothels have been transformed by money earned through the sale of photos and a book on them. Ross Kauffman, co-director of the documentary, says that the amount earned is $100, 000 (about Rs.4.5 million), which will pay for their tuition and for a school in India for children of prostitutes. Briski has started a non-profit organization to continue this kind of work in other countries, named Kids with Cameras. A film is being made on the life story of a high-profile trio of call girl sisters, Shaveta, Khushboo and Himani, born in one of the brothels of Haryana. In November 2006, Kids with Cameras provided an update on many of the children's conditions, asserting that they had entered high schools or universities in India and the United States or found employment outside of prostitution. Kids with Cameras continues to work toward improving the lives of children from the Calcutta red light district with the plan to build a Hope House. 2010 and 2009 update were also published. In 2004, REACT to FILM organized a screening for Born into Brothels at the SoHo House in Manhattan, NY. In 2010, the film s director, Zana Briski, joined the advisory board of REACT to FILM. The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a prostitutes' organization active in Sonagachi, has criticized the film for presenting the children's parents as abusive and for ignoring the prostitutes' efforts to provide education programs and career building activities for their children. In addition, the film has been criticized in India for perceived racist stereotyping, and has also been viewed as exploiting the children for the purposes of Indophobic propaganda in the West 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Briski, Kauffman. Condition: Very good. No dust jacket.
Keywords: Sonagachi, Kolkata, Prostitution, Red Light District, Kids with Cameras, Dunbas Mahila Samanwaya, Academy Award
ISBN: 9781884167454
[Book #68843]
Price: $35.00