Review:        Admittedly, I am an Oscar skeptic when it comes to documentaries. More often then not, great films get overlooked for 'topical' ones (case in point: any Michael Moore feature or 2008's selection of Taxi to the Dark Side).  However, occasionally, I must admit the Academy rewards excellent filmmaking and Born into Brothels is a testament to this.  Directors Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman provide not only an engaging story, but also a brilliant sense of editing and filming.        What I love most about Born into Brothels is its ability to appeal to a wide variety of audiences.  Critics and more independent minded viewers will adore the film's creativity as it blends the photography world into its film style.  While the majority of the work is shot in a very documentary standard style, there are moments where the directors' artistic sides come out and lines and images are blurred.  It's an effect you can regularly see in photography but is not widely used in documentary films.        At the same time, audiences merely looking for a good story will find plenty to rave about in Born into Brothels.  Each child's story is uniquely painful, beautiful, tragic and hopeful; the filmmakers make a deliberate effort to portray each child's individuality.  In the end, not every child finds salvation from their problems, but for every child that doesn't overcome their circumstances there is one who does. Most importantly, audiences will develop a connection with the characters. By the end, as the film recaps each student's current situation, it's hard to avoid weeping over the failures and rejoicing for the triumphs. Finally, Briski and Kauffman refuse to merely preach to viewers.  They could easily have simplified the plot to a mere 'look at the terrible conditions these children live in'.  Instead, they tell a story- a complex story that evokes emotions ranging from sympathy to empathy to even envy.  Don't get me wrong, it's clear the entire production team would love nothing more than for a hundred viewers to step up and aid and protect these children or children like them, but Briski and Kauffman refuse to lay on the guilt if viewers refuse to act.  I'm not saying you shouldn't try and help; it's just nice to know someone isn't pointing a menacing finger at you if you choose merely to enjoy the story. Watching Born into Brothels was like hearing the echo of a quote from The Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite movie lines of all time. In a letter to Red, Andy defends his beliefs: "Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." This moral could easily attach itself to Born into Brothels. Calcutta's red-light district is a prison to these children, but through the inspiration of photography these sons and daughters of prostitutes find hope, and though not all of them find a new reality in that hope, you can't help but feel the entire area has been affected.  It's a message that will inspire audiences. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 5- you’ll experience the diverse world these children endure within the brothels Entertainment: 5- though not always fun, you’ll be hooked by the stories and lives of these children Technical: 5- like the differential between a good photograph and a great photograph, this film transcends the line Overall: 5- a film worthy of its Oscar Statue
 
Format: DVD Year: 2004 Running Time: 85 Min Distributor: THINKFilm, HBO/Cinemax Documentary and Red Light Films Producer: Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman Director: Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman Date Reviewed: 12-13-2008 Story: This Oscar-winning documentary is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in Calcutta's red-light district, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Spurred by the kids' fascination with her camera, Zana Briski, a photographer documenting life in the brothels, decides to teach them photography. As they begin to look at and record their world through new eyes, the kids awaken to their own talents and sense of worth (NetFlix).