Pink Saris
Kim Longinotto
»If you‘re shy you‘ll die.«
– Sampat Pal Devi
In the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Sampat Pal Devi is fighting against forced marriage, violence towards women and the humiliation of »untouchables«. Energetic Sampat, who contrary to traditional role patterns is always shown respect wherever she goes, was herself forced to marry at the age of eight, and experienced violence and oppression. She has since become emancipated from her family. Now she is the leader of the so-called Gulabi Gang – a kind of feminist vigilante group in pink-coloured saris – who come to the aid of other oppressed girls and women. Such as Rekha, a 14-year-old untouchable who is three months pregnant, but cannot marry the father of her child because he belongsto a different caste. Or 15-year-old Renu, who wants to jump in front of a train because her husband from an arranged marriage has left her and her father-in-law has raped her. Longinotto follows Sampat as she moves from house to house and actively gets involved in family conflicts. For example by confronting perpetrator and victim with one another in front of an audience and forcing them to talk about their situation. Pink
Saris gives an insight into the political work of this woman who has now become quite famous, but also into her private situation and the difficult relationship with her partner Bubuji and her ex-husband.
Awards for ›Pink Saris‹
Best Documentary, Abu Dabi Film Festival 2010 | Special Jury Award, Sheffield Doc/Fest 2010 | Amnesty Award, CPH:Dox 2010
Film Programme If You Don’t Fight Back
Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto is one of the most successful British women documentary film directors. She studied at the National Film and Television School and then worked as a set designer for television documentations. From 1986, she produced several films together with Claire Hunt under the label Twentieth Century Vixen. During this period, a series of videos was made for Channel 4, for whom she subsequently continued working. In her films she tackles controversial social issues and portraits activists within various cultures. She has won numerous international awards, including the World Cinema Jury Prize in Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival for Rough Aunties, the Peabody Award and the Cannes Prix art et Essai Award for Sisters in Law, the Special Jury Prize at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam for Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go and the Award for Outstanding Documentation at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival for Shinjuku Boys. In 2010, she won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Hot Docs Film Festival.
Films by Kim Longinotto (Selection)
Rough Aunties 2008 | Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go 2007 | Sisters in Law 2005 | The Day I Will Never Forget 2003 | Divorce Iranian Style 1998 | Shinjuku Boys 1995 | Dream Girls 1993
