Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Born into Brothels
In February, a documentary about a photo class for the children of sex workers in Calcutta beat "Super-Size Me" for the best feature documentary Oscar. Smithsonian decided to feature photography from the kids in the project as a sort of photo essay, and I wrote the accompanying text . The film follows director (and photojournalist) Zana Briski as she works with the kids and tries to get them into boarding schools.
The twist that I tried to convey in the piece was that many of the people doing aid work in Calcutta and the sex workers themselves (who are remarkably organized, to the extent of having a union and spokespeople) had serious issues with the documentary. Some of the gripes seemed like jealousy, but the major criticism was that Briski's approach to helping the kids was "colonial." Briski's British passport probably didn't help, but the fact that her first inclination was to take the kids out of their homes and put them in boarding schools was seen by some as insensitive to the kids and their familes and ultimately as unsustainable.
Watching the film before I started reporting, I didn't get that sense at all. The kids live in brothels; really bad stuff is going on all around them all the time; the pressure to become prostitutes or petty criminals seems overwhelming. By all means -- get them out of that environment if possible. Yet talking to people who worked in the community put a different spin on things. Home is home, family is family, and for folks there it's important to recognize the importance of that familiarity and context for kids regardless of how awful it might seem to an outsider.
The postscript, of course, is that the critics have a case. Of the eight children featured in the documentary, most dropped out of boarding school and are home with their families. Incidentally, Briski isn't allowing the movie to be released in India, which insures that she and her critics will continue to talk past each other.
Briski's now working to start a school in Calcutta to help more of the red-light disctrict's kids. By all means, see the movie and check out their latest effort.
The twist that I tried to convey in the piece was that many of the people doing aid work in Calcutta and the sex workers themselves (who are remarkably organized, to the extent of having a union and spokespeople) had serious issues with the documentary. Some of the gripes seemed like jealousy, but the major criticism was that Briski's approach to helping the kids was "colonial." Briski's British passport probably didn't help, but the fact that her first inclination was to take the kids out of their homes and put them in boarding schools was seen by some as insensitive to the kids and their familes and ultimately as unsustainable.
Watching the film before I started reporting, I didn't get that sense at all. The kids live in brothels; really bad stuff is going on all around them all the time; the pressure to become prostitutes or petty criminals seems overwhelming. By all means -- get them out of that environment if possible. Yet talking to people who worked in the community put a different spin on things. Home is home, family is family, and for folks there it's important to recognize the importance of that familiarity and context for kids regardless of how awful it might seem to an outsider.
The postscript, of course, is that the critics have a case. Of the eight children featured in the documentary, most dropped out of boarding school and are home with their families. Incidentally, Briski isn't allowing the movie to be released in India, which insures that she and her critics will continue to talk past each other.
Briski's now working to start a school in Calcutta to help more of the red-light disctrict's kids. By all means, see the movie and check out their latest effort.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Bylines, Take 2
As I was interviewing folks for a business-school article, someone from the university snapped a picture of my best side. Little did I know it would appear on-line. At least I look like I am being a diligent professional, I guess.
Monday, April 04, 2005
A Flurry of Bylines
Sad coincidence has resulted in a spate of U.S. News and World Report bylines for yours truly. U.S. News prepared an obituary issue for Pope John Paul II years ago, and was holding it for immediate publication as soon as the pope passed away. I contributed two pieces to the issue (actually a sort of soft-cover cross between a magazine and a book for sale on newsstands). One was on the often scandalous history of the papacy; the other about the Pope's Polish roots and their influence on his personality and papacy.
This week also saw the publication of U.S. News' annual graduate school guidebook and rankings. In January, I visited Columbia, South Carolina to write about the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business . It was a whirlwind trip, especially since I'm no expert on business schools, but the folks down there were very welcoming and I think the profile turned out well.
Coming soon: an actual byline in Smithsonian. Exciting stuff.
This week also saw the publication of U.S. News' annual graduate school guidebook and rankings. In January, I visited Columbia, South Carolina to write about the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business . It was a whirlwind trip, especially since I'm no expert on business schools, but the folks down there were very welcoming and I think the profile turned out well.
Coming soon: an actual byline in Smithsonian. Exciting stuff.
