India's Wushu Warrior Girl
Social Science
•
25m
Fareeha is a 14-year-old Muslim schoolgirl who dreams of becoming a champion fighter. Her school in southern India started teaching the Chinese martial art, wushu, amid rising concerns about violence against women. Fareeha soon falls in love with the sport and qualifies for the national championships. But her family decides she can’t go, deeming it inappropriate for a girl to fight in public. Fareeha negotiates these complex issues at home, and wins them over. She emerges the winner in her category and has a clear message: “Girls should get the same freedom boys do. We can do everything they can.”
Director: Jayisha Patel
Producer: Aloke Devichand; Fiona Lawson-Baker; Hugh Hartford
2016 | 25 mins
South Asia | India
Languages: Hindi with English
Subtitles: English
FILMMAKER Q&A:
https://simaacademy.com/filmmaker-qa/indias-wushu-warrior-girl/
Up Next in Social Science
-
India's Forbidden Love *Viewer Discre...
[Trigger Warning] In March 2016 Kausalya and her husband Shankar were brutally attacked on a crowded street in southern India. Shankar, who came from a lower Dalit caste, died of his injuries. Kausalya survives and accuses her parents of orchestrating an honour killing. She fights for justice thr...
-
Hotel U.S.A.
A roadside motel in Newark New Jersey harbors refugees during their first night in America. “Hotel U.S.A.” captures a group of newcomers during their first moments in the country, exploring the sense of loss and hope that pervades the refugee experience.
Director: Andrea Meller
Producers: Andrea... -
Hope
The indigenous people of Sungai Utik, a Dayak Iban community in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, have maintained a strong traditional connection to their forests despite continuous pressure from logging and palm oil companies intent on taking their land. Their forests remain intact and their tradition...