HER SONG DOCUMENTARY FILM
Her Song follows three women from the Banchara caste, one of the lowest in India. In doing so, it unravels a story over a hundred years in the making, dating back to when the British colonized India and created The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, which condemned the Banchara as unfit for any work, other than prostitution.
Many generations later, this devastating legacy continues to impact the Banchara. Because of the prejudice they face, no one will hire the men for even the most menial, wage labor jobs. Which means the women are forced to prostitute themselves, often starting as young as 10 years old.
Our film follows three young Banchara women - Rani, a 16 year old prostitute; Bulbul, her 12 year old sister who hopes to escape her fate; and Laxmi, one of the few women to accomplish this -- over the span of nearly three years, as their lives are transformed by "the trade."