Gothamist: Born into Brothels, Accepted into NYU

starrygordon

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:44:23 -0500

I am not surprised at the insensitivity of Halder's classmates, for whom the desperation of the poor in India is a subject for entertainment. Here's what I wrote about the movie on Netflix, or as much of it as the Gothamist will permit me to post: The subject of this movie is not, as advertised, the lives of the children of prostitutes in a certain part of India -- most of that remains obscure to us -- but rather, what happens when rich people from the West with liberal-bourgeois feelings pay a lot of attention to a half-dozen such children, probably carefully selected ones, including giving them cameras, developing and printing their film, and trying to get them in schools evidently unattainable for most poor people in India. The result is predictable, as it would be in New York, London, or any other city where prostitutes and their families live in an oppressive underworld; the lives of the subjects are illuminated and their prospects greatly improved, whereas the framework which brought about their oppression and that of thousands or millions of others in the first place, is unchanged. In fact, there is not even a suggestion of how it might be changed. We can feel virtuously concerned without having to do anything about it. The location in India renders this framework at once colorful and opaque; if the film had been made in the United States some of the cultural references and social connections might have made American audiences quite uncomfortable. An exotic location protects them from this danger. I fear people are praising this movie and giving it good ratings not because they like it but because they think they _ought_ to like it.

CedDi80

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:23:04 -0500

I'm so happy for him!

Jen S

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:11:54 -0500

Excellent quote by Avijit.

NannyState

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:07:26 -0500

"Born Into Brothels, Accepted Into a Brothel".

thefacts

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:19:03 -0500

"I'm like, 'Oh my God,....." He speaks like every other NYU student.

grove

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:16:20 -0500

thats a great sceene

TK

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:59:26 -0500

The scene where he bends over, scoops up the beach and takes a picture of it pouring out of the bucket caused everyone watching in our apartment to gasp in amazement. I really enjoy that movie and would suggest it for anyone.

slappyjohnson

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:47:52 -0500

yes he was the chubby one - got chosen to go to amsterdam.

Rocknrope

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:37:38 -0500

Avijit wasn't the chubby one with the good eye, was he?

smitty

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:25:38 -0500

I thought this only came into the theatres a couple years ago. weeird