New Film: "I am waiting………… half-widows of the Kashmir"

Synopsis:

This is a story of missing people, boys and men who were picked up by security forces and then simply disappeared. The location is Kashmir. Sandwiched between India and Pakistan, Kashmir is a battleground for both. Since the men are missing, not declared dead their wives are not widows but 'half widows.' The 'half widows' need extraordinary courage in living. Personally they live with the memories of their love. They have to suddenly switch from being the woman in the veil at home to a bread-earner. Face society who treats them as unattached property as it treats most single woman in India. The women and children tell their own stories. Their dreams, fears, aspirations and the hardships. Their faces reflect their tension. As the years have gone by, many have learnt to live with their hopes and aspirations while some are still caught in conflicts with their in-laws, the state, religion and day-to-day livelihood.

Their psychiatric problems add to the statistic that Kashmir has the highest number of psychotic patients in the world. These women are true survivorsof a cruel period in the history of this 'paradise on earth'. The security forces stand by their version of events, but staged shootouts, say human rights groups, are commonplace. The first result of a society living in the midst of war is a sharp increase in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSDT) patients. Many studies about this are going on. They are targeting women in general and generating paper reports, which people read and forget. These women have not only lost their support but are also being marginalized and have no status left in society.

Another day of agony begins for the people of Kashmir.

Director: Shabnam Ara and Sushil Kumar
Produced by: Shabnam Ara and Sushil Kumar.
Writer: Sushil Kumar
Language: Kashmiri
Language Sub Title: English
Duration: 39.25 mins. DV.
Rights Available: All, Worldwide.
Screenings: Any period and any place.