Actor Ruhii Singh Highlights Rising Cases of Domestic Violence During the Lockdown in the Short Film ‘That Neighbour’s Wife’
The
feature is part of a three-film series that aims to create awareness about the
universal signal for help
Mumbai, June 5th 2020: As the COVID-19 pandemic surges around the globe, cases of
domestic violence have reached a frightening peak. According to the UNFPA, if
lockdowns continue for six months around the globe, 31 million additional cases
of domestic violence can be expected. The day since the stay-at-home
orders were issued by the Indian government over two months ago, the National Commission for Women received
more than double the number of complaints it did before, registering a number
that went from 116 to 257 a mere ten days after.
In a bid to bring attention to this
silent pandemic, actor Ruhii Singh joins filmmaker and fashion designer Kristy
De Cunha for the short film That
Neighbour’s Wife. The two-and-a-half minute feature traces the footsteps of
a distressed woman who manages to call a trusted person and convey the signal
for help.
Says Ruhii Singh, “The lockdown has helped
curb the spread of the coronavirus but it has let violence fall through
the cracks. Women facing domestic violence are finding themselves in a
situation where they are prohibited from escaping their homes; they’re
prisoners within their own four walls.
Marital rape is not okay, domestic violence is not okay—we can’t continue to normalize
these crimes.
Violence is not a part of any marriage, bond or union.”
With That Neighbour’s Wife, De Cunha aims to embed the covert distress
signal—a universal signal for help against
violence at home—in the
minds of viewers. There are two simple steps to forming the symbol: (1) Palm to
camera and tuck thumb (2) Trap thumb. The discreet gesture can be made on a
video call to family or friends and in-person to a neighbour or stranger too.
The film is part of a global initiative ‘Signal For Help’ launched by the
Women’s Funding Network, a philanthropic organization connecting over 100
women-focused foundations in the world.
That Neighbour’s Wife is
the first feature in the three-film series that De Cunha is working on to break
the silence on what children and women suffer in an abusive household. Shot
remotely during the lockdown, the films portray no acts of violence, as the
writer-director wanted them to be viewed by people across all age groups.
Says Kristy De Cunha, “The need of the hour is to
be receptive and responsive. If these films bring solace to a victim by
letting them know that they can reach out and seek help discreetly without
endangering themselves any further, then that’s half the battle won. More
importantly, we need to educate our children and the future generations and
raise them to respect all.”
Ruhii Singh believes that her character in That Neighbour’s Wife is every woman who has ever faced domestic
violence. Through the film, Singh wants to create discourse, awareness and
action to build mechanisms of help, refuge and rehabilitation for survivors of
domestic violence. She thinks it’s
time society does away with the ‘log kya kahenge (what will
people say?)’ mentality as well as the patriarchal example of endurance in
womanhood.
Says Ruhii Singh, “That Neighbour’s Wife is both sensitive and
bold. We want to tell people that domestic violence is an act that women from
all walks of life and households are faced with. Keep your eyes and ears open.
If you hear or see someone facing violence, speak up and support them. It’s
important to unlearn what it means to empower women. Silence is not the answer.
We have to undo the stigma
that plagues speaking up and seeking help.”
Produced by Rahebar Sonawalla and
edited by Arvin Maben, Kristy De Cunha’s That
Neighbour’s Wife is an attempt at solidarity and help in a time of global
crisis. Team-work was indisputable for a remote-project and the cast and crew
hope the film and its message are received widely.
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