From: Maya Yajnik <yajnik-AT-gaia.cs.umass.edu>
Subject: "When Women Unite!"- A film tour
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 16:38:05 -0500 (EST)



WHEN WOMEN UNITE

Two Indian women film makers, Nata Duvvury and Shabnam Virmani are
currently in the U.S. with their new film called "When Women Unite: The
Story of an Uprising".  The Singh Foundation (Secular India's National
Growth and Harmony, a registered non-profit organization), and the Forum
of Progressive Artists are organizing a tour of the film across parts of
the U.S. 

The film narrates the incredibly moving story of the anti-arrack
(state-supplied distilled liquor) movement that led to the eventual ban of
arrack sales in Andhra Pradesh in 1995.  The movement started when a group
of women participating in a literacy program started questioning their
oppressed status.  Spurred into action by the killing of a village woman
(who was beaten to death by her drunk husband when she tried to prevent
him from molesting their daughter), they took on the men of the village,
the powerful arrack contractors, and the repressive state machinery in a
valiant struggle that demanded a stop to the endless supply of arrack to
their village (the only village tap dispensed water once in two days while
the arrack shop received its supplies twice a day).  The movement took
hold and spread across the state over a period of four hard-fought years. 
It was a true grass-roots movement; even today it has no identifiable
leaders. The movie documents the incredible courage of these women, their
political and social consciousness and their steady realization that,
through struggle, they could control their own destiny. The story ends on
a note of such high hope that it chokes you. By the end of the film, you
don't know whether to cry or whoop in delight.  It is a rare story of
faith, commitment and most importantly in these times, of success. It is a
story that needs telling and retelling. 
 
Nata Duvvury can tour the East Coast after the 11th of November till the
first week of December while Shabnam Virmani can visit California and
surrounding areas from November 17th to November 25th.  It is hoped that
each institution that would like to have the movie screened (along with a
discussion with one of the film makers) would contribute $500. This is,
however, not etched in stone.  If some institutions cannot raise this
money, others may be able to subsidize it a bit; especially if we can get
enough people to participate.  Checks should be made out to The Singh
Foundation.  The touring version of the hour-or-so long film is partly in
English - the non-English parts are subtitled. 

Please contact ali (ali-AT-mgmt.umass.edu; Phone: 413-546-4571), raju 
(sivasank-AT-unreal.cs.umass.edu), or maya (yajnik-AT-gaia.cs.umass.edu) if you 
have any questions.

--------

Hum parvarish-e-lauh-o-khalam karte rahenge
Jo dil pe guzarti hai raqam karte rahenge
Baqi hai lahu di mein to har ashk se paida
Rang-e-lab-o-ruqsaar-e-sanam karte rahenge
Ek tarz-e-taghaaful hai so vo un ko mubarek
Ek arz-e-tamanna hai so hum karte rahenge

                         --- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

We will continue to nurture the ink and the pen
And we will continue to speak of that which affects us
As long as blood flows in our veins, we will use every tear from our eyes
To brighten the color of our beloved's countenance
Those who adopt a style of indifference are welcome to it
We, however, will not stop voicing the cry of our heart


---------


----------------------------------------
 Maya Yajnik      (yajnik-AT-cs.umass.edu)
 Computer Networks Research Group
 University of Massachusetts at Amherst
 Phone: (413)545-3179
 http://www.cs.umass.edu/~yajnik
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