(Photo credit: Courtesy of Kids with Cameras and Red Light Films)

Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman’s documentary, Born Into Brothels, couldn’t be more earnest—it’s about the children of prostitutes in Calcutta’s red-light district—but it couldn’t be more powerful either. Short-listed for the Oscars and opening December 10 at Film Forum, it does what social documentaries do best—delivering unprecedented access and startling images, without patronizing or simplifying the issues. As Briski teaches the children photography, her struggle with the medium’s limitations, and her own ability to help, is excruciating.

Related:

• Archive: “Movie Features”
• Articles by Logan Hill
• Table of Contents: Dec 13, 2004 issue of New York | Subscribe!