Born Into Brothels

If only I would've waited until now to do my top ten list of 2004!!! But I guess some amendments can be made even now.

The 2004 winner for best documentary feature about children in the red light district of Calcutta is not only one of the best films of 2004, but it's also one of the most original. Rarely do movies take the subject of art, and more specifically, photography, as serious as they do here in "Born Into Brothels." Again and again throughout, the movie explodes with tiny snapshot treasures from a child's eye view of the world. At times, it is both profound and heartbreaking, uplifting and devastating, while brilliant and colorful cinematography make the trashed streets of the red light district look like a colorful playground, just waiting to be captured and experienced and played in.

The movie, like most documentaries, doesn't necessarily follow any three-act structure but rather feels like several short films tossed around together to make up what very well could be the most poignant documentary about children ever made (yes, even topping "In This World" and "Spellbound" and even the heartbreakingly subtle yet powerful Spike Lee Oscar-winning "4 Little Girls"). "Born Into Brothels" is about creativity and hope and about having the power to change your world no matter how dismal, but it's also about reality, and about never undermining or minimalizing the painful world so many people outside of America experience.

While I do have my two little favorite kids (one boy and one girl) I'll let you find your own favorites once you see the movie for yourself. No matter if you have to drive an hour to see it, please just go & see it. It's not hitting DVD shelves until September and if you can see it before then on the big screen, you most definitely should.