"Born into Brothels"

Born into Brothels- Film about childhood in the brothels of the Red Light District of Calcutta, India



For more background information, please visit http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/

I found this documentary shocking and saddening. I thought that it was a film that showed me how Calcutta really is for children of the brothels from the most untarnished and raw source of all: the children themselves. The kids were honest like only children can be and it was a great thing to see especially considering how in the West we hear a lot about how advanced and industrial India is becoming, yet in some places, like the Red Light District, hardship is as great as ever.
There were 8 children included in this documentary and all have different personalities that made the accounts both balanced and informative. The hard part about watching the accounts of the girls is the fact that if they do not get out of the brothels soon, they will “join the line” (become a prostitute as well). There is a part of the movie where there is a ten year old girl who is talking about how he has already been told about her becoming a prostitute soon and how she does not want to do it. She wants to get out but does not see how. Also, one of her friends (male) talks about how he wants to take her away from this place because she will soon be forced to join the line. This struck me because even the other children knew about the situation and had to be concerned with it. These children were not getting a childhood at all. They not only know what could happen to them, but they are also very aware of how their mothers are employed. One child recounted how they had a curtain in their home and when customers came, they closed the curtain and the children were not allowed to see. Either that or all the children were forced to go play on the roof.
It was also very interesting to me how the children saw their economic position. All of the children in the documentary lived in an area that looked like a slum to me (although I could be mistaken)—but if it was not, it was certainly very poor by anyone’s standards. It was interesting how when the girls were asked about their condition, they said that they did not think about being rich. They said that even if they were poor they could have a very happy life because they accepted sadness and pain as a normal part of life. This is connected to the reading I did a couple weeks ago about the subjective happiness and well being of the homeless. The article said that homeless people in India were more content with their position in life and this film seems to confirm that though the dialogue of these kids.
My other reading for this independent study also talks about how people in India who are poor or in the slums do recognize how essential education is to their getting out. The children talk about how they want to get an education throughout the video and they finally do get some help from “Zana Auntie” at the end of the film. However, it is sad that one of the girls says that she needs to go to school to that she can take those skills and make a living to support herself and her sister. It is eye-opening to see that these children have high ambitions (some do want to be doctors, artists, etc.) but it is with very practical implications that we do not usually think of kids worrying about in the West.
I could not possibly cover all the implications and interesting things about this film in this blog, so I just recommend that you watch the film. It can be both heartbreaking and uplifting, but is a great and informative way to break our ethnocentric view of childhood.