SANDSTORM

Bay Area Premiere
March 3, 2001

The story is about an Indian woman who is the member of one of the lower castes. She is a potter. I guess they name their castes after their exact jobs. Another village woman is verbally and almost physically attacked while she does her wash in the river. The women of the village mount a march towards the man's house. The lead character, played by the absolutely gorgeous Nandita Das (who was at the screening), so impresses a woman from the city, that she is given a job as a woman's rights advocate. Her husband is happy to get the financial help that this job provides. The town elders and religious leaders are unhappy as the women become more and more powerful and outspoken. While gathering firewood, Das and her husband are attacked. The husband is beaten and held down as his wife is repeatedly raped by several men. She demands justice first by the crooked policeman, then by the uncaring prosecutor, the slimy government doctor, until finally there is a trial that ends the picture.

I am angry at this film. First of all, the story is powerful enough without having the music swell and poetry written about the exploits of this brave brave woman. I have not seen many Indian films and maybe this is a cultural thing that they do differently but the point was made within seconds of the film starting and then repeated and repeated and repeated. Yes I know the caste system is still in place and is sexist and classist and that the powerful will do anything to stay in power. I know that rape is wrong and many men are bad people. But I feel like I've been beaten over the head with these ideas to the point of unconsciousness. There is not a hint of subtlety here. Again, since this was made for an Indian audience (who apparently have not been allowed by censors to view it yet), perhaps I'm being too nitpicky.

There were scenes involving the defendants and their political ally where terrible things were said. There is no way that either the plaintiff, writer, or director could possibly have known what was said in those private meetings. This is the type of film where a single, specific group of male rapists are bad, so therefore every possible male (with the exception of the long suffering husband) are absolute bastards. I'm sure her ordeal was horrendous and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm sure someone from the pottery caste trying to get justice in the big city is an nearly impossible task. She deserves to be commended on not giving up. But for god's sake, less preaching, more storytelling. There are two characters besides the lead who act at even the minimum level of humanness. The husband, and an upper-caste attorney. The entire rest of the country, including women, men, politicians, delivery people, poets and priests are against this woman's case. They lost me by underestimating my beliefs.