The title “Born into Brothels” (2003) is a bit misleading because this Academy Award-winning documentary about the children of India, living in Calcutta’s red light district, spends less time going deep into the lives of these prostitute children born into the brothels of the red light district and more time on what the documentary maker is able to achieve by giving eight children film cameras to shoot with. I wanted to have more information about each child, the history of their families, the history of the brothels, how these problems started and explore solutions.
Now that I’ve said that, I can still say I think every person should see this documentary and learn from it. It will touch and maybe break your heart. It may make you hopeless and hopeful all at the same time. What is award winning are the children and their hope for life. It does seem to me that the filmmakers, Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman, selected the smartest and most clever children to be the stars. They are beautiful, full of life and amazing little children with a lot of talent stuck in miserable conditions. They live in utter filth and extreme conditions without too much fear or complaint, yet their emotions are so real and normal, just like children in America or anywhere else in the world. For example, towards the latter part of the documentary the children have to be tested for HIV as a requirement to apply for boarding school. We get to see the children act like children and squirm in fear just like any child would when they are about to receive shots. On the other hand, we see the children subject to death, all kinds of verbal abuse, inhumane living conditions and living around sex and drugs as a normal daily occurrence.
Do these children have a chance? Who can help them?
The children and their pictures.
Update on the Kids of Calcutta.
THIS POST IS A COPY OF A POST FROM JOANNA’S BLOG ABOUT WEST AFRICA | RAISING CHILDREN | MISSIONS. If you are moved by it, as I was, I encourage you to leave a comment on her blog and read the comments left by others. This post reminded me a lot about the South Africa Missions video I created for ANCC and about my own time when I was in Uzbekistan.
I left my heart in West Africa
I had this post on private for about a week trying to search out a quote, or even my own words to explain why.
Why, since I was a very young girl I knew I wanted to live in a third world country.
Why, when Mom and Dad came back from a month long missions trip, and showed me these pictures, saying “We took some of these for you..we kept saying ‘Oh Jo would love this!’ The whole time we were there.” It made me want to cry b/c it meant so much to be understood.
I don’t know the words, but it is in there deep.
After Steve’s parents left our house I went through my journals and photos of the trip Steve and I took to Niger. I should scan them and show you some of them…
I want to live there, or India or somewhere like that. I want to see their eyes light up when I speak their language. I want to wear wrap around skirts, and live in a mud house with a bright blue door, and eat curry, and get involved with the people. I want to work in an orphanage.. to hold the babies who lost their parents and whisper in their ears about the Abba who will never leave them. I want the GRIT that comes when you survive in a country like that. I want the walk with God that comes from daily desperation. I want to have fewer belongings. I want my belongings to be people.
I want my kids, while they are still young, to experience it. To be changed because of it. Deeper, wiser, and more grateful.
To see that life is more than cartoons on Saturday and what Thomas engine/Star Wars figure they want next or when they get to go to the park again.
Someone messaged me and asked a very very good question. ”How do you teach a child gratefulness?” I have been thinking it over in my mind constantly since she asked me. I have asked that question many times myself to other mothers, and would love to hear your thoughts on it.
What if I never live in another country, what if I raise my kids here. Surrounded by things and commercials who tell them they need more? And what about the “I am bored” mentality among kids today. Isn’t that connected to gratefulness? I am curious what your thoughts are even if you do not have children..you were one once, what do you remember. What helped or would have helped you?
*I did not take any of these pictures, they were all taken by Missionaries including the first photo which was taken in England.
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