Writing With Fire
Established around 1500 BC, India’s caste system divides humans into social hierarchy of four castes: priests, warriors, trades and laborers.
Dalits are consider so impure, they are deemed untouchable and excluded from the casts system.
Dalit women have borne the greatest brutality of this hierarchy.
Uttar Pradesh, in north India, witnesses endemic levels of violence against women and Dalits.
When a group of Dalit women in Uttar Pradesh created their own newspaper in 2002, they were expected to fail…
Instead, they stirred a revolution! Their newspaper, “Khabar Lahariya” (meaning “Waves of News”) continues to be India’s only newspaper run entirely by women!
“Produced under Ghosh and Thomas’ Black Ticket Films banner, the film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it won two awards, the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award in the World Cinema Documentary category. It received unanimous acclaim from film festivals and critics, winning several international awards and critical acclaim from the press. It was named a “Critics Pick” by The New York Times”
To watch what these women had to endure day in and day out was amazing. Their desire to seek out the REAL news that never makes it to the internet/tv was endearing and frightful at times.
There learning curve was steep and difficult for some on the team, especially when they transitioned over to cell phones for digital postings via YouTube. All very brand new for them on top of trying to up the number of report goals each member of the team had.
This all comes on top of being women in an all male dominated country - it takes guts to do what they did and continue to do!
Khabar Lahariya’s YouTube channel started out connecting with 1 million and now has over 151 million viewers.
Even with the sub-titles it was an addicting documentary to watch to the point that you don’t even know you reading the sub-titles in the end.
Very heartwarming and gratifying - Don’t miss this one!
In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men emerges India's only newspaper run by Dalit women. Chief reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, redefining what it means to be powerful.
Run Time: 1 hr and 32 mins
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%/ Audience: 77%
IMDB: 7.4/10
Rated: Not Rated
Stars: Meera Devi, Shyamkali Devi, Suneeta Prajapati