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Culture October 11, 2018
Marriage, beads and women? They're all connected.
Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg’s video “Connecting Thread: Unleashing India” provides a lens into the lives of three Indian female artisans. Each of these women endure harsh conditions due to their socioeconomic class.
UNLEASHED is a foundation with a mission to empower female creators across the globe. It empowers women artisans and entrepreneurs by supporting their craft, paying them fair wages and giving them global exposure. With UNLEASHED, 42 women were able to work from homes and earn up to 1.5 times more than their previous wages. Their work also debuted in the 2017 FDCI Amazon Indian Fashion Week.
Here are some of the things I learned from Berg’s film.
The documentary opens with a colorful collection of shots depicting the Indian landscape. A lively crowd bustles in the street. We are in Bareilly City, the hometown of Gudia Khan.
Upon meeting Gudia Khan, we immediately learn that she does not know her age. She is either 25 or 26 years old; Khan isn’t certain, because she never went to school.
As we continue through the film, we learn more about her harsh life. At a young age, Khan’s father and brother died, because her family was unable to afford medication. Soon after, her mother started working. However, she fell ill, and Khan took her place in order to buy her medication and support the rest of their family. She dreams of buying a house so her brother can get married.
Although she faces problems due to her status as an unmarried woman, Khan tries not to think about the criticism. When asked about marriage, she laughs. “I’m not interested in getting married. I haven’t even thought about it. I haven’t thought about my own life.”
After Bareilly, the film transports us to the Faridpur village. 19-year-old Fulwano Noor Bano sends two young boys, who seem to be her sons, to school. She beads garments in order to pay for their education and other expenses. When asked if she would send any daughters to school, she replies, “Of course. When sons are getting educated, why not educate the daughters as well?”
Nazama Begam is a 36-year-old mother who offers the same mindset. She also pays her children’s tuition through embroidery, and she encourages her daughters to earn an education before getting married.
Begam enjoys working from a comfortable space and managing her own time. Even though she does not seem too unhappy with her job, it is clearly not ideal. Her daughter promises that when she finishes her education, she will relieve her mother from this work.
When Khan travels to Delhi for Amazon India Fashion Week, it is the first time she left her hometown. Because she is unmarried, she travels with her mother. The two marvel at the glitzy hotel and all its comforts.
After a guide explains all the features of their room, Gudia Khan begins to cry. Her mother explains how this new, expensive world is tough for them.
“You’ve seen our home. We live in such difficult circumstances. The rent is very low. Sometimes someone cries at one’s circumstances. If her father was alive, she wouldn’t be here.”
Khan’s dream-like experience is tinged with bitterness. There is such a prominent difference between this world and the world back in Bareilly. The hotel is not permanent, and they would have to return to their lifestyle eventually.
At the end, the film provides us with some hope to ease our discomfort: UNLEASHED helped Gudia Khan secure a home for the next two years, so she can save money for her future.
UNLEASHED is on a mission to bring global exposure to talented, hard-working women like Gudia Khan. “Connecting Thread: Unleashing India” was launched as one of the first in a continuous “Connecting Thread” series. With this film platform, we can learn the stories of these women and better empathize with the foundation’s mission.
The film provides a perspective that is vastly different from the ones usually seen in America. We often forget to take the time to understand how women in other cultures and socioeconomic classes live. UNLEASHED hopes to change our narrow understanding of the world. To find out more, go to their Facebook, Instagram or website.
If you can, watch this documentary. Everyone should learn the stories of exceptional women like Gudia Khan.
