Life through the eyes of a stranger

Movie Review : Born into Brothels

2009-05-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Being born in a moderately safe neighborhood we're led into a severe neighborhood where young girls are destined to be hookers for life because of their family or sold off for money. The movie takes us from our comfort zones and yanks us into a world we couldn't even imagine.

In the movie we follow a group of kids born into brothels in Calcutta India and given another chance at becoming something when a photography teacher comes to help the children get a better future. The children go through trials based on tradition, social conflicts and in one case a passport agent. The movie is showing Zane Briski, a New York photographer giving cameras to kids of the red light district of Calcutta, the goal is to capture their lives. The kids turn out so good at the photography that one 12-year-old, Avijit , is invited to the world press photo event in Amsterdam. The film shows the everyday struggles and the life of a children born into brothels.

The movie was strong and influential but the story revolved more around the the photography than the actual students who were the main topic of the video. The movie ends quite disappointingly as almost all thge children fail. The story wasn't shown professionally at some scenes such as the beach scene when we are left with a feeling as if something is missing, maybe more footage would have made it better.

The director did a good job in selecting a story that reaches into your heart and doesn't let go. The video had great production and was very artistic. The themes and ideasthat incorporated within the movie was shown with expertise.

The movie had impact and story that gets into the audience and you can't help but get emotional watching how the kids suffer day in and day out with nothing to look forward to and in one scene the kids acknowledge that there is no other future.

boredom

2009-04-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

The world could end and I would not care is the thought that I have when I am so tired and the feeling that I get when I get bored is one of straight anger because I always hear life is great, so why was I born to be bored and lonely and fat and disgusting and filled with hatred and always meant to feel sadness everyday in an infinite cycle. The intense emotion of anger is what creeps in when I am bored and it fills me with energy, so much anger seeps out. Theses are just thoughts because I'm not bored yet.

2009-04-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Hurt ,

The film was very educational and I believe that you did something for humanity and that was to open the eyes of us, the youth and I say this because there has to be a force to change the way we live and I believe that the video is the first step. The real world is sometimes forgotten in the pursuit of money and for now we have to show that money doesn't bring happiness, Humanity does.

The movie held lots of interesting topics but the race issue should have been expressed because that word is powerful isn't it? The mention of that word infuriates me and that triples when a black person says it,wanna know why? The black people are the only one allowed to say it and if a kid says it without a thought, he is then a target, yeah a target. The videos don't say it, if my white little brothers who live in a diverse community become targets I am not afraid to show how much I hate that word. That word is said everywhere and I know one day someone is going to get hurt because of the videos, if that happens in my family, my hatred will emerge and we'll see what happens, won't we? Ha Ha Ha Ha ! Masculinity comes in many forms and hate is one.

I remember that I copied a black kid and said that word in middle school and he had the nerve to get offended, I don't use the word because I see it as disrespectful but everyone says it now and I will not permit anyone around me to live in fear. My parents fear for my safety so much that I am not allowed to go out unless to school or to family's house guess how that makes me fell? The hate for the artists Is rising and the world is killing my life because of them and for the sake of money. someday. I have no freedom because of the music the mind of a genius can grow if let out to grow, I'm afraid to go buy something because I feel like I don't belong in society Guess how that makes me feel? I feel anger and anger and anger and anger, I can't ask out a girl, I can't have a relationship, I can't understand anything. That's right I have anger. It's not awake yet but someday.

Beyond Beats And Rhymes

2009-04-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a guy who gets "turned-on" by music videos like everyone else but the documentory Beyond Beats And Rhymes really opened my eyes to the fact that we as a creature on earth will one day go extinct because of the lust and violence in our world and only when we open our eyes can we survive. I know people who disagree with me but I'd like to say that what I saw was truly disgusting and that the students should definitely see this film so that we can grow not out of ignorance but of knowledge. The film shows that the music industry is wrong in some respects and that it is all about making money. The film is graphic and like t.v. we may see it as if it's nothing but you have to think what does it do to you and how it affects your life.

The film showed that the principles of our nation as changed so mush so that we are into violence and killing . The future can only consist of violence and killing. It is so evident that race is always going to interfere because that is all there is in the music of hip-hop. The future is hate.

The cop in the video said that it was a good day because there was no crime and the funny thing was that the video had caught people sexually harassing women. That got my attention.

The understanding of hip-hop that I had was not formed so it didn't change.

A good choice that the director made was to appear in the documentory as a character and this was effective because it made the video feel personal and made it more familiar. The bad choise was to have some unnecessary video shots and that is my analysis.

Vampire Fixation

2009-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

The right to live forever in a romantic, Seductive way where everyone is under my desires. The Right to feast in immortality, with the feel of love and desire the hunter of the night. The wish before death was eternal life. That was a dream and to think of it brings me back into hopelessness, cause I'm too old to believe in dreams. The way that Buffy portrayed vampires, The way Cirque Du Freak portrayed the vampires was the very reason for my fixation. The witchcraft that went with it and the power was what I looked for. That was the past and I guess we all have to grow up, don't we? Can we live forever, Why would we want to? I read so many books on vampires until I just gave up, why did I give up? I don't know.

The Future ?

2009-03-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have recently heard that I will join the military and I have no thoughts on it except for the training as that will be the hardest part. The time I've spent on the earth will have a purpose but there may be doubt. I think that it is just a way to get away from me but when given an order I follow. The day I leave I will not acknowledge thanks but disappointment. The disappointment that I will never be anything but another soldier waiting to kill. That was the mentality that I grew up with, the joy to not make my decisions, the fear of questioning others. I was taught not to think and I think that was the best Idea. Inside I'm laughing when I write this, I remember when I was asked a retorical question I would say I think... They would say your not supposed to think. What is life without thought? Perfection? We'll see.

Crazy Article

2009-03-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Check this out.

Quotes

2009-03-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

Hate must make a man productive. Otherwise one might as well love. ~Karl Kraus

All men kill the thing they hate, too, unless, of course, it kills them first. ~James Thurber

Hatred is one long wait. ~René Maran

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us. ~Herman Hesse

End discrimination. Hate everybody. ~Elle Eden

A loving heart heals hate. ~Jareb Teague

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate. ~Socrates

My favorite Poet Speaks On Love

2009-03-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

We loved with a love that was more than love. ~Edgar Allan Poe

My love life

2009-03-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

The butterfly flys
The lion lays
The living lies
walking to you is a dream
why do you smile
you talk to me
my hopes rise
I wait a while
you say:
I want him
he is cool

I say yea he is
I die
I say see you another day

ANOTHER DAY
Another girl
walking to you is a dream
why do you smile
I see the angel in you
She comes by me
my hopes rise
she's just looking for something
I hide all my feelings

ANOTHER DAY
Another girl
walking to you is a dream
why do you smile
I hear you talk of life
I see you laugh
In my mind
my hopes rise
the girl looks at me
and walks away

THE LAST DAY
the question arises
why

THE NEXT DAY
she looks at me
I walk away.

The poem

2009-03-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

The love
the smile
the tears
my fears
all a lie

2009-03-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

Save Me.......Save Me........Save Me.......Why?????Why????Why???? You left me to suffer you left me to grow Did you see everyday I suffer I can't remember the first time my feelings mixed but I know it is going to ruin me. All of you see an average kid but have you ever questioned why I don't show my opinions of you. I will express them one day and you won't like it. I suffer I cry inside because I am lost and you left me to die. The time will come one day when you realize that experience doesn't always make you smart. Time will show how we will emerge but why is the only question in my mind. We are taught to ask questions but discouraged by the people who can answer them and this has caused my confusion and hatred. I wish to say that I hate but I don't not enough to make any difference. All there is is a shell that has no goal, no ambition ,no anything, All I have is the orders you provide AND THE FEELING OF TIREDNESS.

Changing Youth

2009-03-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

The end will come if we don't learn and grow. We can become great people for the future of others if we find that special person. The fate we believe in can be altered and we need someone or something to keep us going and for my future is you. That was the initial reason for making this audio slide show other than it was a class assignment. The world is changing and we rarely see it. The project was important because it brings us together, not only as strangers but as humans. We can see each other and that is important. It's time to show the world that we aren't only about internet porn but we are a new army of intelligent people who will bring the world into a bright light, We are the future and should be treated like it. The world is changing, Youth is changing. We showed that a Rose can grow from concrete and a bird can emerge through the flames. This is one person's story that we can all relate to thus I say it's time to acknowledge the presence of others.

HATE

2009-03-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

The time has come to tell you my change and the way that I have grew. I can barely hold any feelings. I have one that I miss and that is Hate. It motivated me to do things and plan out goals but no now my life is shell only going through life as a ghost, not caring and like the plane commercial not wishing to be here. The current situation is that I get yelled at all the time and cussed out almost everyday. I use to use the hidden hatred to keep me going and then a day came when I lost it. All the fury that made me strong, that made me different was gone. I miss the power the killer in me the one who was there to give me security and for this reason I am a weak child with no authority who will go through life following, never sure how to lead and always the thoughts of destruction but nothing more just the after thought, the shell.

I learned the true meaning of Hate as a little kid through examples set down and those times have disappeared so much so that in life I see people wishing that they could have done something different and wishing that they hadn't done something, all I see is regret and this is what I will experience in our communist world. People call this democracy but the use of communist ideas has been rising in business through the selfish wants what now, the end is pursued and when gotton is made of REGRET.

Fear Is Power and Destruction

2009-03-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

When you have fear you can use it to your advantage and therefore it is power. You can call it to raise your hatred and also turn you into a figure of ultimate power. Is this good? You may ask but there is something we must understand and that is we destroy what we fear and isn't that wrong? The true strength comes when you conquer your fear and that is why Fear is the emotion we can expect until death. Fear can bring the humanity of a person down but it can also save mankind or it could have. In the past fear propelled us to help others because we feared for other's safety and now the question is, where is the help of others and the answer is that once people stopped being afraid then they stopped caring for others and started living for themselves. I am not saying that fear is good and the concept of creating fear is wrong but we must understand that without one emotion we will eventually die out and life will be lived only for one's own self. The fear pushes us to act and without it we make mistakes, so I say we must realize our fears and work to neutralize them but not fully destroy them.

The concept of fear is dangerous because it can destroy the very humanity that it seeks to caution. Fear brings about competition and hatred not only for ourselves but for others. This causes fights, deaths and war. These topics are all alike for one reason and that is because of fear. We fear that someone else is better and therefore we must destroy them . Can we overturn the fear of others? Yes, but we must first dispel the anger and sense of superiorty. This can seem impossible. It can happen with learning and teaching, not only from teachers but from us to all people no matter race nor ethnicity. We are all equal and therefore we must treat others as if they are too. The only way to bring change is to work together and for this we need to befriend our neighbor and those annoying kids down the street. WE NEED TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE FUTURE TODAY. Fear is strong and it shuts our lives down and I say FACE YOUR FEARS AND THEN TEACH OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. I want to follow a leader who can confront everyone and say we will live together in peace free from the chains of hatred and this is only done by someone who has faced all of our fears.

Idle Thoughts On Racism

2009-03-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

The perception that some races are rascist is true to some extent and that is what we all know but what causes it? It could be the ways we are brought up on the beliefs that our parents had or it could be that the people trying to shut it down are hippocrits always bringing it back. Examples of this are people bringing about the "N" words, it is still wrong to say it but black people say it all the time and if they want to stop racism then they should stop using it. The ultimate reason that the racism has survived to this day is because certain ethnic groups perfer to show dominance and blame other groups for their mistakes. The white racism was of past and people should realize that but that doesn't mean that they should forget it. The new racism that no one seems to see is the hostility that comes from colored people (black,latino,etc.) that don't seem to believe that people can change. I believe that music that uses race to further itself is the problem because it tells white kids and other kids to say the "N" word. I know from experience that when a kid says a new word, it has no meaning for them until they can get any reaction. The first time I said that word, I hadn't ever heard it before and I had repeated it from a black student. He felt threatened guess how I felt, scared. Was it my fault that I became racist because I repeated a word another student had said.

I am racist in my own way. I will never utter my thoughts but I can tell there are feelings that could bring hate from and others. The way to stop racism is to bring knowledge and understanding. That means unnecessary words such as the "N" word and words like wetback, paisa and even retard needs to disappear because it infects us to such feelings of hate and disgust which also brings violence. That is my perspective and if there are any comments please write.

Lunch Anger

2009-03-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

I used to get mad easy and I thought that I had reformed but today at lunch I found myself hating a group of kids who cut in the line, it was a natural occurance but the thing that was different was that the kids were laughing and playing as though the twenty people behind them didn't matter and that pissed me off. To get worse the cafeteria only had soggy tacos which fell apart when I tried to pick them up and When I asked a lunch lady if I could get a fork she told me to go to another lunch lady to get the fork and said that it might cost 40 cents. That was the last straw, first of all there were forks next to her,second my lunch costs 40 cents and sometimes i can't eat lunch cause i don't have enough money. Do you know how I felt? I thought why do I have to pay 40 cents, do I have to eat the fork too?! I went to the other lady who gave the tacos and said I needed a fork cause it was breaking a part guess what she did, She gave me a look like it was my fucking fault. That's right I made the taco soggy. Lucky thing that I didn't have to pay fvor the fork or else I might Have said something bad.

2009-03-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Love Is A Smile Away

2009-03-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

The concept of love can seem strong but at times it is overrated and can produce hate more than encouragement and I know this through experience. I can get jealous easy and I remember a time when people who had been going out just got me pissed. I would always say, what about me isn't there someone who could love me. The anger and resentment would rise and one day I had open my eyes and say why care. The way that i live by is to not care and until recently I didn't and then my friend got screwed and told her LOVE IS JUST A SMILE AWAY I guess that
brightened her day cause she said she was going to put it as her senior quote and I felt happy that she cared. Smile and others will too and therefore you spread love. It has gotten into my skin that i never smile at my crush and it saddens me that i don't, well i can't show her my love but life moves on and in 3 months I'm gone as if I was never even there. That smile is always there even when my crush is walking away, Her smile is there for my tomorrow.

Who I Am

2009-03-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am a kid
I am a revolutionary
I am a poet
I am a stranger.
To tell you the truth I go T-High in Hayward and I think differently from people here and that kind of alienates me just by my own thoughts. I will be writing to inform and to show that I can say stuff that people don't know about me. I can say that you will learn more later.