In September, a vicious road rape case shocked the world in Pakistan. A French woman waited for rescue after the car ran out of fuel when two men passing by broke her window and dragged her and her 2 children out of the car. He raped her several times in front of the children and then stole her jewelry, cash and bank cards.
After the case, the chief police investigator Umar Sheikh did not condemn the rapist, but instead came up with a set of victim theories, he told the media: So late, since with two children, why not take the road of more people? Why not go out with men? Why don't you know how much oil you have to check before you go? He even added in a follow-up interview that it is not the fault of the state that women are raped, right?
As soon as this view of victim guilt came out, the people's anger was ignited.
And the removal of a Pakistani web drama has pushed this wave of condemnation to a higher place -
The Witch
This is an original Pakistani web series.
Because it touches on many social issues related to women's rights, such as child marriage, sexual harassment, abuse, forced marriage, racism, class inequality, and homosexuality.
As soon as the episode was broadcast, it caused a warm response in the Pakistani society. It was not only rated as a "feminist masterpiece" by a well-known local media, but also received a high score of 8.6 on IMDB.
There are few people watching on Douban, but the reputation is quite good.
But at the same time, "The Witch" was also opposed by another part of the voice because it involved women drinking, not dressing conservatively enough, and swear words, so the series was once banned by Pakistan's national television.
The female road rape case, the guilt of the responsible official's victim, and the removal of The Witch have caused outrage among the Pakistani public. Demonstrations, online protests, celebrity voices... Thanks to the efforts of these people, this web series was able to re-enter the shelves.
"The Witch" tells the story of four women with different fates. The story of a lawyer, a boxer, a wedding planner and a murderer who meet.
The first to appear is the boxer girl Zubaida, a beautiful teenage girl.
Zubaida comes from an ordinary and traditional low-class family, and her father named her Zubaida, which means "soft", like cream. She hated the name the most because she wasn't "soft" at all, but had a wild heart instead.
Not only do you love boxing, but you also want to release your own pressure.
Treat love, but also bravely pursue, when she talks about a computer technician with six abs "dongle 420" on social software. Not shy and afraid to speak, on the contrary, generous dating.
However, paper cannot contain fire.
Her fists, as well as photos exchanged with her boyfriend, were eventually discovered by her old-fashioned father.
The end is a violent beating and a series of insults.
Stinky bitch, slut... And so on insulting words were smashed on Zubaida's head.
This is the daily life of Pakistani girls in a patriarchal society, just because the photos of boys are stored in the mobile phone, they will be locked up and not allowed to go out. However, what Zubai Dawan did not expect was that the person who saved her from the fire at this time was her murderer neighbor, Batuu.
Years ago, Batuu was imprisoned for brutally killing her husband. After her release from prison, she was placed in the same building as Zubaida's house.
In Pakistan, women have a very low status, not to mention the murderers who have been in prison, and they have no dignity to speak of. The neighbors were even more disgusted with her, and even hoped that she would die quickly.
Yes, she was really ready to kill herself. However, the appearance of a woman changed her destiny. She is the wedding planner Gingernu. And she is the third heroine of our story.
Compared to Batuu, Gingernu can be said to have been a very successful woman "once". She runs a wedding planning firm that accounts for almost 80 percent of the local market. However, the original career was booming, but an accident in a wedding ruined everything, and Ginger nu began to fall into a career trough, not only had no money, but also borrowed wine every day to dispel his sorrows.
It is also because of her lack of funds that she can only find the murderer Batuu to be her nanny.
The film's most powerful character is Gingernu's girlfriend, The High Society Housewife Sarah, who is the wife of a government councilor.
Originally a lawyer at the law firm, she was shrewd and capable, but later gave up her career for her husband, became an excellent kennel, and gave birth to three cute little babies.
However, late one night, she inadvertently opened her husband's mobile phone and suddenly found himself chatting with 75 women.
In the past three months alone, 20 girls had sent him photos, including nude photos, and after seeing them, Sarah completely collapsed. After that, under the wrong yin and yang, Sara, Zubaida, Batuu, and Kingonu got together. Sarah suddenly thought: Can she do something for a woman? Men who cheat should pay the price!
So, four women hit it off, and a detective agency for women to collect evidence of men cheating was established. On the surface, it is a high-end clothing store serving noblewomen, but in fact it is a woman gang that repairs cheating men.
Countless scumbags have been picked up...
They named the cause "Witch", which is also the title of the film.
"Witch", in Pakistani and Indian folklore, is not the same as the normal understanding, refers to the female ghost of a woman who dies of death, disguised as a young and beautiful girl to seduce and kill men, which is an ominous omen.
Obviously, it's a term that stigmatizes women, but they love it because they're about to make a huge social wave in Pakistan, where women are in a state of worrisome status. In their opinion, the most important thing in this city is the betrayed woman.
As a result, the four recruited soldiers and horses, and the heavily armed clothes that had previously bound them became the battle robes that helped them disguise. But within a few months, the clothing store quickly became the most popular place in town. The four not only helped many women, but also earned a lot of money.
But the danger never left them.
His career was doing well, and Zubaida was homesick. She thought she could reconcile with her family, and when she returned home with hope, there was a strange other family sitting in the house. In this way, Zubaida was forced to participate in a blind date.
It was then that the women realized that they were not only facing a cheating husband on the unfortunate road, but also a rigid family, a self-anesthetized woman, and a code written by men. The road for the four of them to take is heavy and the road is long.
At the beginning of the whole play, the ending of the "witches" has already told the audience -
The Witches organization broke down. Some people died, some people disappeared, and Sarah and Batuu were arrested.
The whole story, how cool it is, how heavy it is, because all the coolness will eventually return to reality.
Once reality is touched, all freedom and power are eclipsed. The show's tortuous broadcast experience in Pakistan is a prime example.
Amid the outcry of the public, the banned Witch was re-launched, and Pakistan's "anti-rape decree" was put on the agenda by the cabinet.
The outcry from the public and the witches contributed to the definition of "rape" for the first time in Pakistan, and the law passed two harsh measures, the death penalty and chemical castration of rapists.
Not only in Pakistan, but also in South Asia, "The Witch" has become a phenomenon.
It is clear that it is not only Pakistan that needs "witches".
The Witch 2020
Directed by: Asim Abbasi
Starring: Sava Girani / Yasra Rizvi
Episodes: 10
Douban 9.3 IMDb 8.6
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