Purdah
71 min. In English & Hindi w/English subtitles. Jeremy Guy, dist. by Collective Eye, www.collectiveeye.org. 2018. DVD UPC 018705065590. $50; public performance $125; acad. libs. $295. SDH subtitles. SPORTS/INT AFFAIRS
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Though this film focuses primarily on Kaikasha Mirza, a young Muslim Indian woman who aspires to play professional cricket, her family members are an integral part of the story. Mirza has two years to work toward making it onto the Mumbai Senior Women's Cricket Team, after which her parents will arrange a marriage for her, leaving the decision of her future involvement in the sport to her husband. Most of the film follows Mirza through her daily routine as she provides background and observations in voice-over and directly to the camera. Her sisters and parents also provide insights into her hopes as well as their own. The final quarter of the film skips ahead several years, during which time Mirza's father has abandoned the family, and the focus moves to her two sisters, whose lives have been drastically altered as a result.
VERDICT A multilayered chronicle that highlights many of the challenges facing young women worldwide, this will appeal to those concerned with women's rights and the global climate for women's sports.
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