For one hour and 21 minutes, UB students, faculty and alumni were given the chance to look into the lives of several children dwelling in the red light district of Calcutta.
As part of Gender Week, a free screening of Oscar-winning documentary "Born into Brothels" was held in 684 Baldy Hall on Monday.
The movie attracted a diverse crowd to Shanti, Suchitra, Manik, Gour, Kochi and Puja, impoverished children stuck in a community where their aunts, mothers, sisters, grandmothers and great-grandmothers sell their bodies to provide for their families.
"It really showed the resilience of children in the community," said Susannah Bartlow, graduate assistant in the Gender Institute.
For that group of kids, Zana Briski was able to open their worlds up a little further. Briski, known as Zana Auntie, is a New York-based photographer who narrates the film and teaches the children photography. The pictures taken by the children were a way for the rest of the world to see through their eyes, Briski said.
"I personally feel she did a good job," said Rima Aranha, president of the Asian American Model Minority Myth Research Group. The film is also sponsored by the Center for Comparative and Global Studies in Education.
"We thought it was a very powerful movie and wanted to do it with a larger group," said Yoshiko Nozaki, assistant professor in the department of Educational Leadership And Policy.
Briski was also able to find schools for some of the children, although few actually ended up staying in them. Education is one way out of poverty, but many schools will not accept children from families of prostitution.
"The film made me feel very privileged," said Louise Tiano, junior psychology major. "It almost makes me feel angry when people don't appreciate education."
The children, who face hardships that many people can only imagine, still acted like normal children.
"Even if I was poor, I would have a happy life," said one of the girls in the film, who often shared despite having little.
When most girls become prostitutes at 14 or are married by 11, a happy life may not be easy to come by.
"It was very touching and disturbing in many ways," said Barbara Morano, a UB alumnus. "Over my lifetime there have been changes, some pleasant, some not so pleasant. I grew up in a time when women had only five occupations. I'm very happy about all the changes, but still there is resistance."
After another boy's mother was burned to death in the kitchen by her pimp, the son said, "There is nothing called 'hope' in my future."
"I think the movie shows hope, frustration, empowerment. There's everything in there," said Yan Zhao, a fourth year social foundations major. "It was a very impressive documentary."
"In general, Gender Week has been very successful," Nozaki said.
This is the 5th Annual Gender Week at UB, and events include lectures, films and performances and will continue until Friday.
"We try to go across campus' and disciplines and encourage people to participate," Bartlow said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
