Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids
Seen it?2004 | 85 min | Documentary
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 10 times its budget, despite little lasting buzz. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 25 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lead better lives.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.8 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Oscar: Best Documentary Feature Film. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$4 million worldwide on a $350K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 23K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman
- Zana BriskiSelf
- AvijitSelf
- Geeta MasiSelf
- KochiSelf
- MamuniSelf