70
The brightest facet of the movie is that even as they face oppressive conditions they still persist with joy.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
The resulting film is moving, charming and sad, a tribute to Ms. Briski's indomitability and to the irrepressible creative spirits of the children themselves.
75
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
A stirring documentary, and would be more so if it focused more on social problems than on Briski's own work.
70
Village Voice by Jessica Winter
Almost inevitably for a documentary of this stripe, it risks aestheticizing poverty--but here it's usually the kids themselves who compose the most arresting images.
70
In a rare and inspiring example of the way art can both reflect and alleviate human suffering, photojournalist Zana Briski's wrenching documentary traces her valiant use of photography to help children trapped in one of the most wretched places on earth.
70
Favors unforgettable images over in-depth storytelling, and prioritizing electrifying moments over narrative arcs.
70
Even if the film itself is relatively conventional, its exposure of a squalid city's most benighted neighborhood and its introduction of hope into nearly hopeless lives give it strong human interest value.
75
Briski, a New York photographer, spent several years with the pre-teens. But she did more than just film them -- she tried to help them.