Born Into Brothels

"A remarkable and moving story about the power of art to transform lives." -- Newsweek

A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born Into Brothels, is a portrait of seven unforgettable children who live in the Red Light District of Calcutta where their mothers work as prostitutes. Spurred by the kids' fascination with her camera, Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer living in the brothels and documenting life there, decides to teach them photography. As they begin to look at the record their world through new eyes, the kids, who society refused to recognize, awaken for the first time to their own talents and sense of worth. Filmmakers Ross Kaufman and Zana Briski capture the way in which beauty can be found in even the seemingly bleakest and most hopeless of places, and how art and education can empower children to transform their lives.