Nov
21
2009
Melissa
Books & Resources
0
Here are some great documentaries that look at life in one of the sex districts of Kolkata (Calcutta), India.
Born Into Brothels
This Academy Award winning documentary follows photographer, Zana Briski, as she teaches photography to some of the children living in brothels in Sonagachi, a large red light district in Calcutta. It’s uplifting to see the lives of the kids and the way they flourish through art. It’s disturbing to see and hear the bleak backdrop of their lives, and their hope is almost unfathomable. Despite everything, these kids dare to dream, and Zana works to help them achieve their dreams. As you’d expect, it’s a tough road to change, and in the end the results are mixed.
What stuck out to me was how difficult it is to change parents through their children. In situations of poverty and depravity, it’s the kids that tug at our hearts the most. I wonder, though, how effective programs that focus only on kids can be.
Find out more at Kids With Cameras. Buy the documentary.
Calcutta Hilton
This short documentary (with tons of bonus footage) tells the story of the Hiltons, a family from New Zealand who started Freeset, the manufacturer of the jute bags you see in the Stop Traffick Fashion store. The mission of Freeset is to give the women of Sonagachi a choice that they’ve never had before—to leave the sex trade. The women have come to the sex trade through trafficking and poverty, and Freeset gives them a way to earn a generous wage in a job they can be proud of.
The documentary tells about the lives of several of the women and the challenges of building this type of business. The women come with no skills—most have never even used scissors. No matter what job they do or how many bags they produce, all the women are paid the same. This gives the women the message that they are all valued and respected as human beings. This is the exact opposite of how they were treated as prostitutes.
Find out more about Freeset. Buy the documentary. Or watch a clip here.
Why Kolkata?
December 3 (just under 2 weeks!), I (Melissa) will be heading to Kolkata with my dad to visit Freeset. We’ll be there for about 5 days. We’re excited to find out more about what they do and meet the women who are making the journey from exploitation to restoration—and who make some of my favorite purses ever!
About Melissa
