With Leesa Gazi
“My mum found out that I was a Porn Star!”
“Women are taught to carry shame & honour for their families.”
In this episode, I speak with Leesa Gazi, the director of a critically acclaimed and highly impactful film about survivors of rape in Bangladesh during the war, who are now in their 70’s and 80s. Leesa stayed with the women, connected with them and discussed their experiences – and has now turned this into an empathetic and impactful film.
Leesa and I discuss:
• How patriarchal attitudes in the culture prevent rape victims from coming forward
• The horror and impact of rape on women and young girls in South Asian communities
• How the burden of “honour” & “shame” is attached exclusively to women in South Asian culture
ABOUT THE FILM ‘RISING SILENCE’:
https://www.risingsilence.co.uk/
MORE ABOUT LEESA:
Leesa Gazi is a Bangladeshi-born British writer, actor, filmmaker and Joint Artistic Director of a London-based arts company Komola Collective. She is the concept developer, co-writer and performer of the theatre production Birangona: Women of War, which she later developed into the documentary film Rising Silence, which has won multiple international awards. The film sheds light on the lives of rape survivors of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
RESOURCES
If you’ve been affected by the themes of this episode, please check out these resources:
Helpline: 0808 802 9999 (12-2:30 and 7-9:30)
Supportline: 0333 300 6389
Helpline: 0808 801 0818
Helpline: 01708 765200
Email: info@supportline.org.uk