|  
        
         The 
          Indian Diaspora 
        About 
        Schedule  
        Photographs 
        Reviews 
       | 
       
         Bawandar/Sandstorm 
        Jagmohan Mundhra, USA/India. 
         125 mins. 
         Starring: Nandita Das, Raghuvir Yadav, Deepti Naval 
        
           
              | 
             
               A rural low-caste woman, working for Rajasthan government's woman's 
                development program called "Saathin", is gang-raped by upper-caste 
                men in her village when she speaks up against the prevalent custom 
                of child marriages. Instead of hanging her head in shame, as she 
                was expected to do, she decides to knock the doors of justice. 
                Her real rape begins when she is made to run from pillar to post 
                in a judicial system corrupted by sexism, chauvinism, feudalism 
                and political opportunism.  
               
             | 
           
           
            |  
               Caught in the middle of a storm created by the international 
                media, she is made a pawn in the political chess game between 
                the ruling party's Central government and the opposition party's 
                State government, as she is put on a pedestal by one party, and 
                thrown stones at, by the other.  
              
              
             | 
              | 
           
           
              | 
            Against all odds, she maintains her dignity and courage 
              as a woman and from a rape victim becomes a rape activist. It is 
              a shocking true story, set amidst the picturesque sand dunes of 
              colorful contemporary Rajasthan.  | 
           
         
        Friday November 8th, . 6p.m. 
          www.bawandar.com 
           
              
           |