If this summer's offerings have left you wondering where all of the good filmmaking has gone, here's a heavy and brilliant Indian drama to fill the gaps. When rural village dweller Nandita Das speaks out against the custom of child marriage, she is gang-raped by upper-caste men as punishment. Taking her case to court, she experiences further abuse at the hands of India's male-dominated judicial system, and even becoming an international news item doesn't diminish the opposition or lessen her torment.
But take heart, this true story shows this woman's courage, her triumph and her steadfast refusal to give up, as she grows to become India's leading anti-rape activist. The movie is tough going at times, but you won't be able to take your eyes off it or Das' steely performance. It's gritty, truthful, painful, ultimately redemptive and worth every minute diligent viewers invest in it.