DEVI

Devi is a rebel. She is fighting for her rights in a world that would rather sweep issues under the rug. She is a severe sexual assault survivor from Nepal's civil war. She speaks her truth and gives courage to countless others to come forward with their harrowing experiences. Devi is the epitome of a fighter. Devi is one woman's attempt to fight against the system rigged against her and countless silenced victims. She is a beacon of hope.

This movie deals with the sensitive issue of rape and sexual assault during Nepal's decade long civil war and one woman's story to reflect the stories of thousand others.

Hearing a few of their stories made me so emotional, these women have faced those instances--which is terrifying to imagine, let alone go through. There were so many achingly haunting scenes in the movie. You can see Devi's pain when she remembers her assault.

There was one scene where her daughter jokingly says "it is very difficult to forget" while Devi hauntingly looks into the distance, being someone who is reminded of this fact every day.

These women are blurring their faces (as if they did something wrong) while the people who committed these crimes are roaming free. What does it tell us about the society we live in? It is a very dark place, indeed. 

'Devi' translates to goddess in Nepali. In a country where goddesses (devis) are worshipped and revered, hundreds of women are languishing in injustice. Devi is a rebel. She refuses to sit quiet and suffer. And with her courage to tell her story, there is an unspoken solidarity with other women who suffer in silence.

It did make me wonder. Is Devi able to speak her truth because she is 'upper caste'. The blurred faces of so many women who have not come forward with the incidents remind me of the doubly oppressed state of women, first by sex and then by caste.

One of the incidents mentioned was so harrowing. When will these women get justice? When a person is raped, they are in an extremely vulnerable state. It isn't easy to come forward and fight for one's right. 

When your identity is tied to victimhood, how do you move forward with life? When life's truth is a blur of emotions, how do you move past that?

In a society that ostracizes rape victims while the perpetrators run free cloaked by the impunity provided by the Constitution itself, what can be done?

Undefeated we stand. Undefeated we raise our voice. Undefeated we own our truth.