Born into Brothels, by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski, is the winner of the 77th annual Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes.
The photographs taken by the children in Born into Brothels are available for purchase in the Kids' Gallery, and as a signed limited-edition portfolio, or as a compilation in our companion book. 100% of proceeds from print sales go directly to support the children's education.
Critical Praise:
"Anyone who has ever thought that documentaries lack the emotional impact, drama or sheer movie-going pleasure of fiction films will likely change their mind after seeing Born into Brothels ... this is a work of art so deep and resonant that it puts most narrative films to shame."
- James Greenberg, Hollywood Reporter
This is the kind of film that reminds you of what movies, at their best, are capable of. Boston Globe
"Heroism can come in subtle forms. This is one of them."
-- Desson Thomson, WASHINGTON POST
"Zana Briski's documentary about children growing up in Calcutta's rough and squalid red light district is moving, charming and sad."
-- A.O. Scott, NEW YORK TIMES
"Beautifully filmed, and devoid of the kind of patronizing beneficence that First Worlders often bring to the Third World."
-- Steven Rea, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
"This is the harsh reality that London-born, New York-based photographer Zana Briski captures in her documentary Born into Brothels. Yet what lingers is not the difficulty of the children's lives, but their resilience, wisdom, humour and talent."
-- Gabriella Coslovich, The Age
"Juror Mark Salisbury summed it up well in a statement: "Seeing the film is a life-changing experience. It has re-set my life's barometer. The things I moan about now pale into insignificance."
-- Wendy Mitchell, indieWIRE.com
