Coronvirus Outbreak: Nandita Das films a short to raise awareness on domestic violence during lockdown

Actor and director Nandita Das has shed light on the issue of domestic violence in her latest short film.

Titled Listen To Her, the 7-minute video showcases how the lockdown called in several countries has made life for women in toxic relationships harder.

(Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak)

Listen to Her has been supported by the UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women and the South Asia Foundation (Madanjeet Singh Foundation). As Nandita Das writes in the description of the video, she wanted to show how the logo of quarantine life – stay home stay safe – is a burning irony for women.

Check out the short film here

Here is the link for Listen to Her.https://t.co/XpZvxRKPhv If you like it, pls share and shed light on the issue and spread the helpline nos. as widely as you can. #ListentoHer #domesticviolence #unwomen #unesco #unfpa #unicef #southasiafoundation #nanditadas #ncw

— Nandita Das (@nanditadas) May 26, 2020

“The film is adding its voice to a conversation that is much needed in the public space. It reminds us that speaking up is only possible when women know that there is someone listening. This pandemic has taught us that our lives are deeply intertwined, and so we must respond to the realities beyond ours,” she further writes.

With the short film, Das has tried to convey that women are not alone in this struggle and the feeblest of the voices will be heard. This goes with the message given out in the film: “Whisper… Speak… Shout. Your voice will be heard!”

Speaking to The Wire, Das highlighted how her film shows different strata of women suffering abuse at different levels. “During this period, many women find themselves locked up with their abusers and/or with a twofold increase in their workload…Overburdening has been so normalised that we don’t even consider it an abuse.”

She went on to add that even educated people who speak about equality do not realize how much women work and juggle with. “By engaging with issues, both obvious and subtle, I hope the film makes it clear that neither should be tolerated,” she said.

As the administration tries to fight off the coronavirus pandemic and support the health infrastructure; women are struggling with overwork and facing abuse at the hands of partner or family. With having to spend more number of hours together with their abusive partners, the India’s National Commission for Women has recorded a doubling of domestic violence cases.

During lockdown, the NCW had received 123 domestic violence complaints within the period of 23 March to 10 April – mere 18 days.

from Firstpost Bollywood Latest News https://ift.tt/3epjj09