While much has been written about the booming prostitution industry in India, I had never taken notice of how little other media was available. The documentary made the point that many people in the district did not like having their picture taken or hid for a variety of reasons. While the photographer had initially gone to investigate the lives of the women who worked in the brothels, she fell in love with the children there. They were so curious in the movie, and as far as I could tell they all seemed to be very intelligent for their ages--perhaps a symptom of having to raise themselves or growing up in that environment. 
The female photographer, Zana Briski, who began the project gave the children cameras and taught them the science and art of photography: composition, lighting, etc. She had such great success that the children's pictures drew heavy interest from news sources and eventually were sold through Southeby's. She then used the funds in the children's interest to provide them with an education. Unfortunately in the epilogue of the film, many of the children failed to complete their education. Some withdrew themselves, others had limitations placed on them by their own families. It was heartbreaking that these children should have this opportunity only to lose it.
I think what I took away from the film was the sheer number of relatively unsupervised children running about the streets and the lives they led. They were prostitutes, slaves, child laborers and were treated harshly as such. The film depicted a young boy being beaten, a young girl being forced to carry on the line of prostitution in her family, a mother being burned to death by her pimp, and very cruel daily verbal abuse. The sheer hopelessness that the children admit at times really affected me--that children, those who are most innocent and the biggest dreamers in the world, could admit such desperation and depression. As countries rise, as India has, there still seems to be a wide dearth of adequate management of social ills--the lower class falls through the cracks. This begs the question of who is really rising. The rich, the middle class, ethnic majority, etc.?
I was surprised to see the children could speak so eloquently and so intelligently as well. They were young kids. Yet, they exhibited an independence and a mastery of language that made me think they were much older. Clearly, life experience was a contributing cause. The question is then how do countries manage children's ability for growth and curiosity while allowing them their childhood. Children are a great resource for a country. They are the next workforce, but NOT the current one.
If anyone is at all interested in the growth of developing nations, prostitution, children's health, India, etc. I would definitely recommend this film.
For more information about the project you can visit this website: http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/home/
What this description really reminded me of was the talk that Professor Rozier gave a few class period ago, about how the MDG might actually be increasing the disparities of conditions within countries in terms of economic development, health conditions, etc. It seems like such a contradiction to say that India is progressing as a country when at the same time, there are such horrible circumstances that some children have to live in. From my perspective, India should be directing its increased economic prosperity towards fixing problems like this.
ReplyDeleteHowever, It's also a valid issue that many within India still lack necessities like enough food, and I feel like people would focus their efforts more on fixing needs like this than on addressing status of children sold into prostitution or similar professions. What needs to be realized, however, is that the lack of economic resources for so many people is tied to the children of the country being forced to abandon their education for these sorts of jobs. It's a fast solution to have a child earn money through their body, but the ultimate solution has to come through education, only then will they achieve a level of economic self-sufficiency for their families that will allow the country's population to have greater health.