Controversial film being screened on August 16
While the horrific rape of a young woman in Delhi on December 12, 2012 stirred the conscience of the nation leading to public protests throughout the country, echoed in many parts of the world, the release of a documentary has been received with reservation.
The Indian government banned ‘India’s Daughter,’ produced by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, not because it was on a subject that was an embarrassment to India but because it involved an interview with one of the convicted rapists, who remained defiant of the crime but also accused the dead victim of ‘fighting back.’
Questions raised
The film has raised questions over the discretion of the producer in interviewing a convicted criminal and broadcasting it in the name of freedom of expression and the right of the accused (in this case, convicted) to express his feeling.
‘India’s Daughter’ will be screened at Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Epsom, Auckland at 3 pm on August 16, 2015.
Aucklander Bharathi Mahimkar said the screening will be followed by a panel discussion.
Global protests
Ms Udwin said that the news of the gang rape shocked and upset her.
“I knew that violent and brutal rapes happen all the over the world with horrifying and relentless frequency. What moved and compelled me to commit to the harrowing and difficult journey of making this film, was not so much the horror of this rape, but the optimism occasioned by the events that followed the rape – the reports of protesters, in unprecedented numbers, braving the December freeze for over a month, in response to this heinous crime.
“It was the ordinary men and women of India who withstood the onslaught of teargas shells, lathi charges and water cannons to make their cry of ‘enough is enough’ heard with such extraordinary forbearance, commitment and passion, that inspired me to action.
“This was an ‘Arab Spring for Gender Equality,’ and it occurred to me that in my lifetime I had never witnessed any other country make such a stand for ‘me,’ for my rights as a woman. I felt compelled to bend my skills, my energies and whatever talents I may have in my field of work (film-making) to amplify those determined and hopeful voices who cried ‘enough is enough.’ It is important to note that this is not India-centric problem,” she said.
For further information please contact Bharathi Mahimkar; Email: bharatimahimkar@hotmail.com
