Squarely in the limelight

A film festival focuses on narratives of and by women on a wide range of issues

In 1939, when World War II broke out, one woman said goodbye to her celebrity writer husband and set out to the frontiers. She was determined to do a job which many believed was no job for a woman. Martha Gellhorn, wife of American author Ernest Hemingway, went on to become one of the greatest war correspondents of her time and in her career that spanned six decades, reported on practically every major war in the world. She was never reunited with Hemingway. But that's another story.

No Job for A Woman: The Women Who Fought to Report WWII, a 61-minute documentary by Michele Midori Fillion which is part of the annual Open Frame International Film Festival that begins on September 11 in Delhi, focuses on the fight women reporters like Gellhorn put up to get the 'real' war stories from the frontiers. Women reporters would usually be allowed to report only on 'softer' stories like the work nurses were doing during the war. The film, which brings rare archival footage and stills from the time, is a well-researched tribute to these feisty war correspondents. Among them was wire service reporter Ruth Cowan whose bureau chief was so miffed with her for encroaching on a man's job that he refused to talk to her. There is also the story of photojournalist Dickey Chapelle who wanted to get so close to the action that she could feel bullets whizzing by.

Most of the films which feature in this season of Open Frame festival focus on narratives of and by women. It's a wise selection. Salma, directed by Kim Longinitto, tells the extraordinary story of a woman who was locked up in her house, first by her parents and then by her husband, for 20 years. A small, dirty stretch of a street was all she could see from the tiny window of her room. She took solace in writing poetry and continued to write on whatever bits of paper she could lay her hands on, even after her husband threatened to pour acid on her if she didn't stop. One day, she managed to sneak her poems out to the world. Salmais today a legendary activist, politician and Tamil poet and is counted as one of the most important female literary figures in southern India. Salma is a poignant film with beautiful imagery that captures the story of her life and resilience.

Do women have the right to choose? This is the central point of another remarkably mature film, 12TH and Delaware by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. The film revolves around a conflict that plays out every day in one corner of an American city. On one side of the street is an abortion clinic. On the other, a pro-life outfit. The battle lines are drawn. The pro-life volunteers are determined to convince people about the terrifying outcomes of abortion. And the staff of the clinic is determined to protect the rights of the women to choose, while at the same time fearing for the lives of their doctors. Which one of them is in the right? The film leaves the decision to us.

No matter which part of the world the films represent, there is thread that links them all - the desire, at times latent, at times volcanic, for freedom. Forbidden Voices: How to Start a Revolution with a Computer, a 96-minute documentary from Switzerland by Barbara Miller, is the story of women bloggers Yoani Sánchez, Zeng Jinyan and Farnaz Seifi. Three fearless cyberfeminists from Cuba, China and Iran have made it their mission to combat violations of human rights and free speech. The film follows these women on their risky journey. Clandestine footage shows Sánchez being brutally beaten by the Cuban police for criticising her country's regime. Chinese human rights activist Jinyan remains under house arrest for four years and Iranian journalist and women's advocate Seifi is forced into exile.

In this largely feminist narrative, one film stands out. The Quantum Indians by Raja Choudhury is an inspiring story of three path-breaking Indian scientists - Satyendra Nath Bose, C V Raman and Meghnad Saha. Through interviews with leading scientists and little-known anecdotes, the director brings out the scientific, social and personal side of these geniuses. We learn, for example, that Raman, who has won India its only science Nobel so far, was also an intolerant perfectionist who pushed for what he was convinced was a Nobel prize-winning discovery. And that Bose tore off an important scientific paper when he heard of Einstein's death.

Open Frame Film Festival will be held from September 11 to 21 at Indian International Centre, Delhi. For details, visit http://www.psbt.org/