+ On stage Q&A with Srishti Bakshi and film critic Anna Smith.
WOMB is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming narrative of the plight, dreams, rights and fight against all forms of violence that unify the women of today’s India. Where we share a common reality of living and navigating through an indefatigable patriarchal society. Through Srishti’s lens, we gain the privilege of discovering and understanding the WOMB, which deserves to be respected, empowered and protected. A perspective that stays at the fore of her on-foot journey of 3,800 km over 240 days, from Kanyakumari (South India) to Kashmir (North India).
womenofmybillion.com
No one created history by following the usual path. Team CrossBow Miles, with Srishti Bakshi in the lead, embarked on a 3,800 km on-foot journey across India from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu to Srinagar, Kashmir, mobilising communities to make India a safer country for girls and women by empowering them with digital and financial literacy. Srishti covered a distance of 30-35 km a day, meeting anywhere between 150-200 people a day, and followed the walk up with a workshop in the town or village she was passing through.
CrossBow Miles walked through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab as well as J&K.
CrossBow Miles started with an ordinary girl who walked across a whole country, India, for girls and women, determined to sow the seeds of gender equality tells us how a single step can brew change on the ground.
Deeply shocked by a case reported from India, where a car with a family was stopped on the highway 91 and the mother and daughter were dragged away and gang-raped in front of the father and the brother, Srishti Bakshi decided not to be a silent spectator to rising crime against women in her country.
She left a thriving career just six years out from her management school, Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad and her comfortable life in Hong Kong and started on the most unusual path.
In September 2017, Srishti, founder of the CrossBow Miles movement, embarked on a journey across India from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu (South India) to Srinagar, Kashmir (North India), sensitising citizens to the gender-based violence and inequality in the country. The aim was to combat violence by empowering women with confidence, leadership skills and, most importantly, with digital and financial literacy that would allow them easy access to communication, information and financial independence.
womenofmybillion.com
WOMB (WOMEN OF MY BILLION)
Director: Ajitesh Sharma
An Awedacious original film
In association with: CrossBow Miles, Hans Foundation
Executive Producer: Monisha Thyagarajan
Producer: Apoorva Bakshi
Co-producers: Pruviz Shroff, Gururaj Dixit
Assistant Director: Aparajita Sahay
Cinematography: Sabit Tisekar, Manas Tiwari, Prakhar Deep Jain, Kewal Karia
Editor: Karsh Jhavery
Colourist: Sidharth Meer
Original Score: Tajdar Junaid
Sound Design: Ateesh Chattopadhyay
With
Srishti Bakshi
Pragya Prasun Singh
Sangeeta Tiwari
Neha Rai
India 2020
102 mins
BAGRI FOUNDATION LONDON INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL
LIFF Opening Night: WOMB (Women of My Billion) + on stage Q&A with Srishti Bakshi and film critic Anna Smith
Thu 17 Jun 17:20
My Beautiful Laundrette + on-stage interview with writer Hanif Kureishi
Fri 18 Jun 20:20
The Warrior + on-stage career interview with writer-director Asif Kapadia
Sat 19 Jun 20:30
Ahimsa: Gandhi the Power of the Powerless
Sun 20 Jun 15:00
Searching for Happiness…
Tue 22 Jun 20:50
Nazarband (Captive)
Wed 23 Jun 20:45
A’hr Kayattam
Thu 24 Jun 18:00
The Salt in Our Waters (Nonajoler Kabbo)
Sun 27 Jun 15:00
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Programme notes and credits compiled by the BFI Documentation Unit
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