Sexual violence and the Hema committee report
Sexual violence and the Hema committee report
Dear readers,
Hello! Since the publication of the #hemacommitteereport, I have spent a lot of time consuming news, social media discussions and also reading the report. I have to admit that I feel so inspired by the WCC( Women in Cinema Collective) as I understand the courage it takes to challenge power dynamics. So I am going to share stuff I have posted about the report, highlight snippets from WCC interviews and about the glaring lack of accountability from male actors (all too familiar) and links to what I think you should also watch. I believe this is a pivotal moment for us all
Before that I would like to share what Dhanya Rajendran shared about how media should document sexual violence.
I am yet to read about what Bengal’s Aparajita Anti-rape Bill entails but these are some links I have been holding onto:
https://twitter.com/courtinglaw/status/1831063244146114853
And this interview of Vrinda Grover
Moving onto the Hema Committee Report, before reading the report and while consuming SM discourse on what sexual harassment is, I wrote this piece.
And here are some snippets from the report.
The report has created a ripple effect, prompting other film industries to pressure their governments for improved working conditions, investigations into sexual harassment, and fostering discussions on gender justice. In the following post, have shared snippets from interviews, what industry veterans are saying and much more.
Before I sign off, I would like to recommend some interviews for you to watch:
This interview with Malayalam actor, Sowmya is heartbreaking and triggering but she also makes some very very important points. She speaks with her aunt, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, about being groomed as a sex slave by a Tamil director as a 18 year old. Lakshmy speaks in Malayalam and English but Sowmya speaks only in English and if you can, you must hear her speak.
I end with this small snippet of a conversation between Malayalam actors, Revathi and Shobana about doing their first romantic scenes. Both were young teens then. (Malayalam).
https://www.reddit.com/r/MalayalamMovies/comments/1f7hcmu/shobana_and_revathi_about_their_first_romantic/
I am very disturbed engaging in all these conversations around sexual violence and I am going to take a break. Next week, I promise to bring you some poetry and more.
<3
Indu