Zinemaya Blog

‘If men can do it, why can’t we?’

This question has been raised by four young girls who worked as weavers in a rural village of Kerala. They went to a toddy shop in their village and drank a glass of toddy each. Their purpose was not to get drunk but to find out the answer for the unresolved question ‘If men can do it, why can’t we?’ . But the events that followed were very unfortunate.

As expected there were a systematic attempt to ostracise the young girls. Verbal harassment became very severe on streets. Work became hell. The girls came back home and complained to their parents. The response they got was, “It is all because of your actions, and now you have to face the music.” Another consequence was the bitterness they faced at home for ‘hurting the family pride’.

After facing a few days of isolation, when the harassment became unbearable, the girls decided to commit suicide. Two of them died. The next day, a leading newspaper mistakenly stated in their report that three girls had died instead of two. The name and photograph of one of the girls who did not commit suicide was also published. The day when the report was published, the third girl committed suicide along with her entire family.

Even though the above said real story that took place in 1982 was a tragedy but the ability of the four women to challenge the patriarchy, the political establishments are highly inspiring and encouraging to the minds who seeks complete freedom in a society.

Eleven years later, with this incident as inspiration, a feature film *Ilayum Mullum* (Leaves and horns)was made. The incident was modified in order to generate more social focus. More incidents of similar nature, which took place at that time, were added to the central story. The film derived its name from a Malayalam proverb that states wryly, ‘Regardless of whether the leaf falls on the thorn or the thorn falls on the leaf, the leaf will have to suffer’. The proverb is still used to tame women who transgress social expectations.

*Ilayum Mullum* moved many people and was used widely by social activists. In a system in which the ‘individual’ is completely tied down by family and community, ostracisation can reduce the individuality of a person, leading to suicide*.* It may be difficult for an urban mindset to relate to this, since there is a greater space for men and women in cities to pursue their life as ‘individuals’. However, even among the urban poor, the pressure of patriarchal oppression at the workplace and at home can lead to the extreme act of suicide

*Ilayum Mullum* is a critical reflection on the widely-held belief in the power and respect enjoyed by women in Kerala, a state in south India known for its high literacy and political awareness, its atrilineal tradition, and relatively high degree of employment among women. This myth is questioned from a women’s perspective and forms the central issue of the film.

K.P. Sasi, a Award winning film maker based at Bangalore , his feature film Ilayum Mullum has selected Indian panorama and selected more than 30 International film Festivals , he is popularly known as an activist film-maker. Directing a number of documentaries on people’s campaigns for livelihood and rights, he has quite effectively and powerfully put forth his ideological pro-people stand.

Watch this movie at zinemaya.com

Ilayum Mullum has been screened in the following festivals:

* Venice International Film Festival Critics Week
* Montreal World Film Festival
* Toronto Film Festival
* Sydney Film Festival
* Nantes Festival of Three Continents
* Fribourg International Film Festival
* Cairo International Film Festival
* Izmir International Film Festival (Turkey)
* Cape Town International Film Festival
* Munich International Film Festival
* International Film Festival of India
* Indian Panorama
* International Festival of Rural Films, France

It received the Prix du Jury award for Best Film, Prix des Lyceens.

Watch this movie at zinemaya.com

Courtesy GreenYouth GoogleGroups