Gangor: Il Coraggio di Una Donna (2010)

Gangor è la storia del fotoreporter Upin, inviato nel Bengala occidentale per un reportage sullo sfruttamento e la violenza subita dalle donne tribali. A Purulia, accompagnato dal suo assistente Ujan, mentre fotografa un gruppo di indigene intente a lavorare, Upin mette a fuoco Gangor rimanendo profondamente turbato dall'immagine di lei mentre allatta il suo bambino. La foto viene pubblicata in prima pagina suscitando scandalo e la vita di Gangor cambia drammaticamente. Upin ignaro di tutto, dopo essere tornato a Calcutta da sua moglie, ossessionato dal pensiero di Gangor, decide di tornare a Purulia per ritrovarla. Upin scoprirà cosi di essere diventato, senza volerlo, strumento della stessa violenza che avrebbe voluto fermare.


English
“Gangor” is based on the work of renowned Bengali writer and activist Mahasweta Devi, in particular her short story, “Behind the Bodice.” Spinelli smartly takes on a widespread problem through flawed characters that are not just victims or victimizers, without stooping to mystical or exotic visions of the Asian subcontinent.
In the film, seasoned photo-journalist Upin (Adil Hussain) is sent to Purulia, West Bengal, to report on the violence against the tribal women in the impoverished region. There he meets Gangor (Priyanka Bose).

Upin’s interest in the beautiful young woman is ambivalent from the start, though definitely not just professional. For her part, Gangor is not above manipulating or stealing to get what she wants. She makes Upin pay to photograph her as she breast-feeds her child, though neither is aware of the consequences this will have when he uses one of the pictures for his front-page article.
Gangor is gang-raped then shunned by her village and resorts to life on the streets. Upin, haunted by his discovery of the often hushed-up violence, travels back to Purulia, against the advice of his colleagues and wife (Seema Rahmani).