The film makers of this documentary take the viewer into areas that would have been off limits to anyone wanting to explore the life of the children of some Calcutta prostitutes. About ten children are showcased in the film as one of the directors of the documentary, Zana Briski, involves the children in something positive as she teaches them how to use the camera in capturing the world around them.

In gaining the children's confidence, they, in turn, tell us about how they see life in that hostile environment. Most of the girls shown in the film would probably end up in the same situation their mothers went through, as it appears life for them is a vicious circle in which there is no escape. For the boys, in spite of the natural talent shown as they take pictures, the mean streets of Calcutta don't promise much either.

As a documentary, Ms. Briski and Mr. Kauffman, show us how they were able to give the children a different way to look at life, but one wonders what has happened after they finished their work. Are these young girls and boys better off because this experience, or did they go back to the only way of life they knew about?

"Born into Brothels" is a sad commentary on our society at large, because where there is poverty, as it's the case in Calcutta, women will resort into the kind of life where they can get by without any education or skills. These women are actually the victims of a system that penalizes them for just being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Let's hope Ms. Briski and Mr. Kaufamn were able to instill in these young girls and boys the idea of looking for something better in their lives if they escape the poor surroundings in which they were born into.

If you are looking for a 'feel good' movie or one that gives you a strong feeling of hope, then you probably should not watch "Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids". It's a generally depressing film and offers a few tiny rays of hope by the end of the film...but only a few.

Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman traveled to India and befriended a group of children and their families living in the brothels of Calcutta, India. How exactly they arranged all this is not mentioned in the film--it just begins with Zana spending time with a group of eight of these kids. She has taught them to use cameras and they are chronicling their lives in a crappy neighborhood--living amongst poverty and depravity. The filmmakers are not social workers--just filmmakers and photographers. Through the course of the film, Zana spends much of her time not just instructing the kids on photography and taking them on outings. She also tries to get the kids in boarding schools as well as one special kid a chance to go to an international photography conference in the Netherlands. But, despite her best efforts, the kids and their families have this strong pull--a pull to keep them in the gutters and on track to repeat the family pattern of prostitution, drug abuse and early death.

Overall, an oddly compelling and ultimately depressing documentary. However, it is not without merit and I can see how it won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. It is well constructed and fascinating...and quite sad.

Photographer Zana Briski wants to take pictures of the red light district in Calcutta. She finds resistance from the locals but she befriends several of the kids. She gives them cameras and let them take the pictures. The kids struggle with their family's troubles. The girls face pressure to join "in the line". Avijit is a cocky boy with anger issues. The kids call her Zana Auntie. She struggles through the bureaucratic labyrinth to get the kids their birth certificates, rations, and ultimately an education. Meanwhile, the pictures are sold in western charities to raise funds for the kids.

Ultimately, the question is raised if the kids are being helped. I hope the answer is positive. At least, some of them end up going to school. As a documentary, the kids' family drama could be highlighted more. This ends up concentrating more on the pictures. It would be helpful to do a good length of exposition on each child and their family background. Each kid and family should have at least five minutes. Zana seems to be more driven to take the kids on field trips and photographic sessions while pushing the ultimate goal of school. The family drama is normally the main course for a documentary but she's not that kind of a filmmaker. That's not to say the photographs aren't important. It's a good device to get at the issues but it shouldn't be the issue itself.