In addition to a series of acclaimed and popular hits such as "Rome", "Green Book" and "Freehand Rock Climbing" that audiences are familiar with, this year's Oscars also have a documentary that is not so popular---
"Moon Revolution"
It was this 25-minute pocket short film that won the Best Documentary Short Film award at the Oscars.
In fact, "Moon Revolution" is another extra-(prototype) documentary of the film "Indian Partner" that was released in China at the beginning of the year.
"Indian Partner" was originally called "Pad Man", as the name suggests, it is about women.
The male protagonist in the film, Lakshmi, because he was distressed that his wife was grounded during the menstrual period every month (could not afford to buy sanitary napkins), and the quality of sanitary products was worrying, and he came up with the idea of making sanitary napkins for his wife.
During this period, after experiencing various hardships and dangers and even being driven out of the village as a religious enemy, Lakshmi, who did not forget his original intention, finally resisted the pressure and created a low-cost sanitary napkin that women in the country can afford.
Pad man is based on a true story in India.
Lakshmi's prototype is Aruna Haram in The Menstrual Revolution, and since the creation of low-cost sanitary napkins for the benefit of women across the country, Aruna Haram has become a hero for women all over India.
Therefore, "Pad Man" can also be regarded as a heroic biography.
After the seemingly earthy film was released in India in 2018, on July 21 of the same year, India abolished the sanitary napkin tax for women (also known as the "blood tax"~~~).
This is another film that changes national legislation after "Evil under the Beautiful Countryside" in the United States and "The Melting Pot" in South Korea.
Be aware before this movie is released.
In India, where there are 350 million women, only about 10% of women have access to sanitary napkins.
The remaining 90 per cent of women are forced to replace hygiene products with rags and grass ashes every month.
After using it, secretly wash it and hide it under the sari, or find a secluded place to bury it in the middle of the night.
Over time, gynaecological diseases caused by lack of health literacy have become younger and more common in various parts of India.
Tracing back to the source, there are probably three reasons why this situation has not been able to change:
First of all, it is because of poverty.
In Pad man, Lakshmi is forced to borrow money from a friend in order to buy a 55-ruble (about 5 yuan) sanitary napkin for his wife.
Lakshmi's monthly salary is about 10,000 rubles (about 1,000 yuan).
For a family of five with an income of only 1,000 yuan per month, a 5 yuan pack of sanitary napkins may indeed not be cheap.
The point is that the Lakshmis are not yet the poorest people in India.
This point is also mentioned in the "Moon Revolution".
In the 21st century, many Indian women are not unaware of the existence of such a thing as sanitary napkins, but indeed because they can't afford it.
No wonder as soon as the news of the lifting of the sanitary napkin tax came out, there was a lot of jubilation on Indian social networks.
The second is the concept and custom of continuity from generation to generation.
The Moon Revolution begins with several groups of interviews with women of all ages.
When asked about menstruation, women's basic reactions are like this.
Or so.
Those who can say frankly that they have menstruation to have children can be equated with heroes.
In fact, don't say in poor and backward India.
Even in the world, from ancient times to the present, menstruation has been an unspeakable taboo.
For example, the ancient Roman writer Pliny warned the world that when menstruating women walk around the wheat field, they will let caterpillars, worms, beetles and other pests fall from the ears of wheat...
For example, in the early days of Japan, there were no female sushi chefs for a long time (they believed that women's menstruation would cause a taste imbalance).
Even to this day, advertisers use blue liquid to prove the absorbency of sanitary napkins.
This is exactly what was said in a movie that blood is a good thing, but when it comes out of the vagina, it inexplicably becomes taboo.
thereupon.
The theory of menstrual shame that has been passed down from generation to generation is so subtly rooted in the heart of every Indian.
Finally, there is religious belief.
According to the Bible, "A woman who walks the scriptures will be defiled for seven days." Whoever touches her will not be clean until night.
The Catholic Church also says that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden at that time, and it was all Eve's fault.
Therefore, menstruation and dysmenorrhea are the punishment for Eve.
And so on and so forth...
Hinduism, which is practiced by 70% of the people in India, is a religion that attaches great importance to "cleanliness".
They believe that women's menstruation is unclean or diseased, and that women during menstruation cannot touch others or go to temples to worship (saying that they will blaspheme). Instead, take the initiative to isolate yourself (grounded) or stay as far away from the crowds as possible.
In addition, in addition to poverty and shame.
As we all know, India's toilet problem is also world-famous.
Because there are few toilets, girls who go to school have to walk a long way alone to find a place to change their hygiene products during each menstrual period. In this sneaky process, we must always be on the lookout for malicious stalkers and voyeurs.
Over time, more and more girls drop out of school because of the inconvenience of menstruation.
Seneha in the film is one of the women who dropped out of school because of this.
At this time, aruna haram, the savior of Indian women--- brought them a low-cost machine that can make sanitary napkins by hand.
So a group of women, led by Seneha and Humeman, officially opened a road of self-help by relying on this simple machine.
Hand-produced sanitary napkins are not good enough compared to big brands, but they are guaranteed in price and quality.
Considering that most women are embarrassed to go to men-only stores to buy sanitary napkins, they personally bring goods to the door to sell, and by the way popularize health knowledge for them.
With the continuous promotion and popularization, Seneha and her partners are also getting health and benefiting the public, and they are respected and recognized by their families and husbands because of their work (income).
The economic base determines the superstructure.
What determines a woman's family status is never how well you can take care of your children, but whether you have the ability to make money independently.
It seems that "Moon Revolution" is a short film that explains the causes and consequences of "Pad Man".
But in fact, the perspective of the two films is completely different.
Pad man is a biography of a hero who saves women from the depths of the sea.
"Moon Revolution" adopts a completely female perspective.
Almost all of the film's footage falls on women, truly recording their mental journey of timidity, curiosity, hesitation, trying, and acceptance.
In the film, Seneha, who dropped out of school due to the inconvenience of her menstrual period, did not follow the tradition of serving her husband and children at home like the women around her after marriage, but always tried to rescue herself from the family.
Seneha's ideal was to go to Delhi and become a police officer.
And, for the first time in her life, another woman who was finally able to afford to buy new clothes for her brother experienced the freedom of doing as she pleased with economic independence.
It is the self-improvement and efforts of this small group of women that are constantly affecting most other women.
From "Wrestle, Daddy" to "Pad Man" to "Toilet Hero" to the "Moon Revolution" to finally get the little golden man, Indian cinema has been stumbling on the road to women's voices.
They may still have a long way to go in the future, but if they are willing to face up to the problem and solve it, there is hope.
As La Runa Haram in the film says, the strongest creature in the world created by God is not a tiger, a lion, an elephant, but a woman.
(Movie Rotten Tomatoes Editorial Department: Wooki)