India's Daughter to be released theatrically in the U.S. via Paladin

India's Daughter to be released theatrically in the U.S. via Paladin

Leslee Udwin’s acclaimed documentary, INDIA’S DAUGHTER, will be released theatrically in the U.S. by Paladin, with a New York opening scheduled for October 23.The film tells the story of the savage rape and eventual death of 23 year-old medical student, Jyoti Singh, in New Delhi in December of 2012, an event that shook the social fabric of the country-- and the world-- to the core. Udwin’s film was catapulted to global attention in March of this year when it was banned in India just two days before its scheduled broadcast. INDIA’S DAUGHTER will open in Los Angeles on October 30. Jyoti Singh was a young physiotherapy student from a poor family in New Delhi, and a symbol of a 21 century India in which economic growth is expanding opportunity for women and men alike. With dreams of a career in medicine, Jyoti asked her parents, to use her wedding dowry to pay for her education. Despite protest from the extended family, Jyoti’s parents willingly obliged, and sold the family’s ancestral land to put her through school. On December 16, 2012, she went to see Life of Pi with a male friend. When they boarded a private bus to return home, the young man was beaten senseless, and Jyoti was dragged to the rear of the bus and repeatedly gang raped. Her assailants brutalised her as they circled the city, injuring her internal organs, and ultimately eviscerating her with an iron rod. Miraculously, she survived for 13 days before her surgeons could do no more to save her.   Her tragic death raised the fury of Indian women and men alike, and New Delhi saw an explosion of public outrage that resulted in a month of unprecedented mass street protests throughout the nation, and a government crackdown with water canons and tear-gas. In INDIA’S DAUGHTER, Udwin unspools the extraordinary story of Jyoti and her forward-thinking family, while also probing the culture of rape and the psyche of her attackers.One of the film’s most astonishing scenes is a confession by one of the perpetrators, filmed in prison, that provides crucial insight into the mindset of the men who committed the rape, and explores the wider dynamics of a patriarchal society and culture which seeds violence against women. Following its debut in Great Britain earlier this year, and presentations at festivals and conferences throughout the world, INDIA’S DAUGHTER has become a source of considerable controversy, with some advocates calling it essential viewing and a film that can spark change for women in India and worldwide, while others criticize it for giving a megaphone to the rapists’ point of view, for bringing shame upon India, ignoring the Indian women’s movement, and violating the rights of both the victim and the accused. For bearing witness to the truth about rape in global society Udwin was honored as a New York Times 2015 Woman of Impact, and won the prestigious Anna Lindh Human Rights Award for her groundbreaking work in advancing the rights of women. An Assassin Films Production, INDIA’S DAUGHTER was directed and Produced by Udwin. Susan Sarandon and Nick Fraser are Executive Producers and Frieda Pinto is Associate Producer. Following its theatrical release this fall, the film will be broadcast on PBS. Women Make Movies holds digital and home entertainment rights.