The most stigmatized people in Calcutta's red light district are not the prostitutes, but their children. In the face of abject poverty, abuse, and despair, these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother's fate or for creating another type of life.

In Born into Brothels, directors Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman chronicle the amazing transformation of the children they come to know in the red light district. Briski, a professional photographer, gives them lessons and cameras, igniting latent sparks of artistic genius that reside in these children who live in the most sordid and seemingly hopeless world.

The photographs taken by the children are not merely examples of remarkable observation and talent; they reflect something much larger, morally encouraging, and even politically volatile: art as an immensely liberating and empowering force.

Devoid of sentimentality, Born into Brothels defies the typical tear-stained tourist snapshot of the global underbelly. Briski spends years with these kids and becomes part of their lives. Their photographs are prisms into their souls, rather than anthropological curiosities or primitive imagery, and a true testimony of the power of the indelible creative spirit.

Why you should watch it

The multi-award-winning Born Into Brothels is an amazing testament to the creative power of children in the most squalid of situations. Beautiful, heart-wrenching and unique; this documentary goes to the very crux of the human condition. Photographer, Zana Briski, teaches the children of a Calcutta brothel to document their lives with simple cameras which she provides for them. The results are nothing short of stunning.

Further information on Third World Prostitution and Children:

The Producers Born into Brothels official homepage is a great companion to the film and you can but the soundtrack and accompanying book here, as well as prints of children’s photos. 100% of the proceeds from the sales go to supporting their education. There is also a dedicated Wikipedia page on the film, and a page from critics the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee – a prostitute organisation who claim the film makers used hidden camera work to incorrectly present the children's parents as uncaring, ignore the prostitutes' substantial efforts to unite, and harm the global movement for sex worker rights and dignity. The Fact Book on Global Sexual Exploitation has a very academic report on prostitution, trafficking and the authorities in India, and Wikipedia also has a more palatable page on Prostitution in India, with informative sections on how women and men are introduced to prostitution and the reasons. Erces also has a dense though very informative report on the situation in India looking at Prostitution and the trafficking of Women and Children, as well as social factors and trends in depth.

If you were inspired by the artwork of the children Natural Child is a huge gallery dedicated to the art of children, lots of it is very impressive.