A fascinating glimpse into a hidden world
Filmmaker Nisha Pahuja's intriguing documentary 'The World Before Her' delves into the parallel worlds young women in India can find themselves in, and examines the tensions that arise when those worlds collide.
Every year, 20 beautiful, young women compete for the title of Miss India and undergo a strict regime of beauty and training in order to transform themselves into a modern Indian woman. The superficial process comes with a title that can lead to worldwide freedom from a traditionally patriarchal society, a blessing for many with ambitious dreams.
Elsewhere in India, the female wing of the largest fundamentalist Hindu movement in the country are running a training camp where young girls fight to protect the Hindu culture. To the self proclaimed 'Indian Taliban', the beauty contest is an obscene threat to tradition, something to not be taken lightly. Pahuja's film gives audiences unabashed insight into the two sides of the conflict, leading us into the private world of the traditional Indian woman, fighting in a new world. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
General Admission. Please arrive on time.