Monday, August 01, 2005
it could be worse...
on saturday, i went for born into brothels with vasud. it was screened as part indigo, an indian filmfest presented by the singapore film society. an extremely touching documentary that wasn't sappy.
it's the raw feel of the sequences that really hits you deep in the gut. first, a quick synopsis. zana is a photojournalist whose intention was to document the lives of the prostitutes in sonagachi, kolkata's red light district. she lived with them for years and she got to know their children, and as her form of helping them out, she decided to teach the children about photography. born into brothels gives us insights into the lives of her students. what struck me the hardest was that these kids who are like pre-teens or in their early teens instead of worrying about boy-girl relationships or who's the cutest actor/actress or about their studies, are instead thinking about how they have to support their families, or about surviving daily. and for the girls, supporting their families usually means getting out the streets and plying the trade of their mothers. and they accept it... you don't get a sign of resentment of their fate. to them, that's life. to be so mature and world-wise at such a young age is a burden that really made me reflect.
the saddest line for me though was after a particular scene, where this boy, avijit finds out that his mom died in a kitchen "accident". i'm not sure if he knew what actually happened, but the audience finds out that his mom's pimp poured kerosene over her and burned her. anyways, he's interviewed soon after. this kid who shows such potential and an affinity for photography has now become lackadaisical about photography. he comments on how there is no hope. hearing someone so young say that made my heart break.
what sets this documentary apart from others i've watched is the human element, which is exploited to full effect. it's after watching documentaries like these that you realise that life could be heaps worse. and you thank whatever it is that put you where you are for putting you there.
it's the raw feel of the sequences that really hits you deep in the gut. first, a quick synopsis. zana is a photojournalist whose intention was to document the lives of the prostitutes in sonagachi, kolkata's red light district. she lived with them for years and she got to know their children, and as her form of helping them out, she decided to teach the children about photography. born into brothels gives us insights into the lives of her students. what struck me the hardest was that these kids who are like pre-teens or in their early teens instead of worrying about boy-girl relationships or who's the cutest actor/actress or about their studies, are instead thinking about how they have to support their families, or about surviving daily. and for the girls, supporting their families usually means getting out the streets and plying the trade of their mothers. and they accept it... you don't get a sign of resentment of their fate. to them, that's life. to be so mature and world-wise at such a young age is a burden that really made me reflect.
the saddest line for me though was after a particular scene, where this boy, avijit finds out that his mom died in a kitchen "accident". i'm not sure if he knew what actually happened, but the audience finds out that his mom's pimp poured kerosene over her and burned her. anyways, he's interviewed soon after. this kid who shows such potential and an affinity for photography has now become lackadaisical about photography. he comments on how there is no hope. hearing someone so young say that made my heart break.
what sets this documentary apart from others i've watched is the human element, which is exploited to full effect. it's after watching documentaries like these that you realise that life could be heaps worse. and you thank whatever it is that put you where you are for putting you there.
thus spake satchithananda at 1:22 am
