Portraying Different Images of Women in the Society
Team members of Niswan receiving awards from Advaita Marathe, Regional Manager, Oxfam India, Gujarat
She is a woman….so!
A Film Festival portraying different images of women in the society
Oxfam India in association with Drishti and Hivos supported a three-day long Nazaria Women’s Film Festival that was held between March 6 to March 8 in Ahmedabad to commemorate the International Women’s Day. In three days, a total of seven movies from national and international filmmakers were screened.
It was the third year when this Film festival was organized trying to present different perspectives on social issues related to woman. The festival aimed to increase exposure, create awareness and generate a discussion on the issues concerning women. Since its inception, the festival has been a platform for young amateur filmmakers to present their view point on women’s issues.
On March 6, the first screening was Khamosh Pani. The film, directed by Sabiha Sumar and starring Kiron Kher is a comment on the regressive status of women in 1979 under General Zia Ul-Haq's martial rule. The film also deals with Islamisation in Pakistan and the social fallout of fundamentalism in that country. The second day’s attraction was a film named Understanding Trafficking. It talks about the lines and limits women are following since ages defined by patriarchy and what happens when women cross that line?
On March 8, very powerful imageries of women were shown in two films. First was Picture This! Directed by Divyang Thakkar that shows the dynamics in an upper middle class couple with the use of cartoons. Next was Picture Perfect directed by Carol Tizzano. It talks about how images in mainstream media objectify women and girls. The film explores the impact of these messages on young women’s physical, psychological and emotional beings.
On the occasion, three awards were given to women to acknowledge their contribution in their fields. A journalist, Bela Thakkar was awarded for dedicated writings on issues related to women for sixteen years. A social organisation, Niswan was honoured for its contribution to working with underprivileged Muslim and Dalit women. A theatre personality, Hina Trivedi was also felicitated for her contribution in theatre. Regional Manager, Oxfam India, Gujarat, Advaita Marathe gave away these awards.
(Story Credit: Manisha Sharma)