PINK SARIS World Cinema

With her documentaries DIVORCE IRANIAN STYLE (1998), SISTERS IN LAW (2005) and ROUGH AUNTIES (2008), director Kim Longinotto has made a name for herself as a chronicler-without-borders of women’s fight for justice. In PINK SARIS, Longinotto follows Sampat Pal Devi, leader of the “Pink Gang,” a group of female activists from the Dalit caste. Sampat – whose crusade to help other women was ignited by her own abuse – battles practices that have kept Indian women subservient for centuries. Forced child marriages, the burning of widows, beatings and rape are among the many complaints brought to Sampat on a daily basis. Longinotto’s camera rushes to keep up with Sampat and pushes its way into disputes in order to capture every detail of Sampat’s highly idiosyncratic, remarkably effective style of conflict resolution. PINK SARIS is a celebration of an exceptional woman who exhibits unflinching courage in the face of the tremendous challenges confronting Indian women today.