Dear Family and Friends,

My latest favorite documentary is “Born into Brothels.” The Calcutta red light district is depressing, but the film is uplifting. A brave woman, Zana Briski, lives in the brothels for three years. Her photographic eye falls on the prostitutes’ children. Her heart breaks for kids who have no hope-Avijit, Gour, Kochi, Manik. She sends pictures of her kids to a colleague and he comes to help record the story. These two N.Y.film professionals start creating a future for “throw away kids”. They fight the brothels, the pimps, the red tape, the costs, the difficulty of finding a school for their brilliant students. Auntie Zana puts a camera in each kid’s hand and teaches them to see their world through a lens. Soon she is selling the kid’s photographs to pay for their education. If you buy the film, purchase it from Kids with Cameras so the profit will go to rescuing another kid born in the brothels. I recommend watching it with the director’s comments. Zana is not a Christ follower, but she lives like Christ who dwelt amongst our brokenness so He could rescue us from selling our bodies into sin.

Garry

http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels

Next Aslan’s How Open House is Sat. Apr. 7 at 11am. You must reserve a place by emailing me at: gfriesen@multnomah.edu.