SYNOPSIS
In a Kolkata red-light district, sex workers and their children form the filmmaking collective CAM-ON to forge a different future. Determined to become directors and actors, they confront societal stigma to help the next generation escape the cycle of sex work. As they create a short film where memory and reality intersect, its screening becomes a moment of profound collective catharsis. This film documents their liberating journey of finding their voice, transforming a space of oppression into a stage for self-expression.
REVIEW
CAM-ON is a filmmaking collective born from the ambition to transform Kolkata’s red-light district through the power of cinema. Composed of young people and sex workers who were born and raised there, its members step into the roles of both filmmakers and actors, telling stories that emerge from lives shaped by hardship.
Director Bipuljit Basu first recognized the group’s potential while making his short film Midnight Blues (2020), another portrait of the district. That encounter became the spark for his feature debut, Redlight to Limelight. Filmed over four years, the documentary follows its protagonists as they persevere in the face of entrenched discrimination and contempt, united by a shared passion for filmmaking. The process of creating a short film conceived by CAM-ON forms the spine of the narrative, blurring the line between the film being made and the one we are watching. As the roles of the sex workers—as subjects of the lens and as members of the crew—constantly shift, Redlight to Limelight reveals itself as a layered, self-reflexive work.
At its core, however, are the protagonists’ conversations about cinema itself. In their candid, deeply felt exchanges lies a powerful determination—not only to claim their place in society, but to imagine a new future built on the bonds of creative solidarity.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
If I hadn’t met the marginalized brothel community, I might never have become a filmmaker. They awakened my emotions and gave me purpose. After a life-changing accident in 2016, I found strength in them. In 2020, I began Redlight to Limelight, working with CAM ON, a film collective run by sex workers in Kalighat, Kolkata. Living with them for over four years, we shared vulnerabilities and created together. They shaped the film—and now, we remain bound by trust, creativity, and solidarity.
CONTACT
Taskovski Films Ltd
fest@taskovskifilms.com
