10 Inspiring Documentaries That Could Change Your Life
9. Born Into Brothels
Born into Brothels – directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman – is an Academy Award winning Indian-American documentary about children unfortunate enough to have been born into the red light district of Sonagachi, Kolkata. Throughout the film, the team attempt to educate the children – expanding their opportunities through photography – as well as enrolling them in school, which proves a difficult task due to the stigma attached to them.
Highly stylised, Born into Brothels is a genuine triumph in documentary storytelling – acknowledging wider contextual significances – but emphasising the plight of the children over any political or social commentary, which is secondary.
The result is a genuinely moving character driven documentary about a group of doomed children, given an opportunity to improve their situation through artistic expression and personal commitment.