Born into Brothels

[DCJenn]

This was the documentary that won the Academy award and now having seen it, I know why. It's fantastic. You'd think it would be really depressing (and don't get me wrong, being the child of a hash smoker and a prostitute is no great cakewalk for these kids) But it just gives you hope that some will escape the life.

Watch it when you have a few hours to ponder it afterward. and if you're like me, I'm thinking, OK, how can I adopt from India?

Jenn

[migirl]

I agree, this was a fantastic movie. It has the potential to be so sad and depressing, but it's so uplifting and makes you really hopeful for these kids!

[Rapunzel]

Is this the same documentary that was aired on PBS last winter?

I watched a documentary on public television at that time on the slavery of prostitutes in India (many of them kidnapped - particularly Nepalese girls looking for work in India). It was eye-opening and horribly depressing. I cried through much of it. So awful. There was a bit on what the children of these prostitutes had to endure (generally child prostitution themselves) and the filmmakers covered the fact that these children of prostitutes are considered the property of their mothers' pimps. It was horrific.

If it is the same documentary as the one I saw then it is definitely an important thing that needs to be brought to light but I didn't see much to it that was hopeful or uplifting. There were women who were trying to change things (ie rescuing kidnapped girls from these pimps) but it was awful that the police were so often in on this slavery. I felt myself wanting to go castrate a few hundred thousand men using these child sex slaves. Very angry feeling, that.

Jennifer

[DCJenn]

No Jenn, this was different.

A British woman and her husband (since divorced) made a documentary of the prostitutes of New Delhi. (maybe the original film you saw) and in doing so got to know the kids of the prostitutes. She ended up getting cameras for the kids and teaching them photography. It was an amazing story of how creative these kids were in documenting the world around them. It's kind of like if you give someone a tiny bit of education the world can open up for them.

See it, I tell ya!

Jenn

[Cumberland]

It came on HBO and I missed it. I really wanted to see it but i enter the movie store about twice a year and even then the odds of me convincing DH to rent it are slim. Hopefully it will come back on HBO.

[Auspicious]

Avijit! That kid is awesome!

I actually got to meet the producer. My friend in Cleveland hosted a benefit at her pottery studio / party space (convienently located across the street from the "arty" movie house in Cleveland), and I loaned her all of my sari's to decorate the space with. They were so grateful we got free passes to the screening and the benefit after but couldn't go b/c dh was studying (sound familiar?). So the director signed a calendar for me. I still haven't seen the documentary.

[DCJenn]

No kidding Julie- we will definitely see some more from that child! He's amazing.

Jenn

Hey Jenn Patel- what exactly do you wear under a sari? (I guess that kind of like asking what one wears under a kilt!)

more than you wear under a kilt! You wear all of your normal underwear, and a "petticoat" which is basically a slip with a drawstring waist. You tie the drawstring as tight as you possibly can and the sari is tucked into it (on the bottom) and then wrapped around the top - you're also wearing a matching blouse on the top.