There’s been a twitter conversation this morning about how few shows on HBO have women leads. While they might not be great with series about women, they have done a number of fantastic and interesting documentaries about women.
That continues tonight with the premiere of Woman Rebel which tells the story of Silu a woman who fought in the Army (which was 40% female and one of the focuses was women’s rights) and then once the revolution was over became a member of parliament.
Director Kiran Deol answered some questions about the film.
Women & Hollywood: You got on a plane the day after you graduated from Harvard to make this film. Why was the story so important to you?
Kiran Deol: I heard the statistic ’40% women’ — that 40% of the women in this rebel army were women, and it had my jaw on the floor. I’m of Indian descent. Nepal is very close in proximity and at the time I was really drawn to a story that featured women in the developing world not as victims of violence, or prostitution, but as agents of their own destiny… essentially a story featuring women working to change their own circumstances for themselves. This particular story did that through the incredibly controversial means of armed revolution.
W&H: How did you even find out about the story?
KD: When I was in college, I heard about the number of women in the army from a friend, and that was what made me want to go to Nepal. It was almost an instant decision–like a no-brainer. I did thesis research there in 2005, and then went back to start working on the documentary in 2006. Once in the country, getting access to the actual stories, that of a woman rebel soldier that we could follow for a long period of time…that proved to be a great challenge, or adventure…depending on how you look at things!
W&H: How did you find Silu?
KD: Silu was recommended to us by one of the top women leaders in the rebel Maoist party after we had already made inroads with the rebels for several months. The leader knew we were having some trouble–the first character that we had found and liked from a rebel training camp had backed out because there were some conspiratorial suspicions that we were spies and that sort of thing. And it had already taken several months to get that initial access…getting calls at 10pm at night and then showing up at a bus stop the next morning at 5am to take a jeep to an undisclosed location and hike the rest of the way. In those beginning phases we essentially had to pitch the project to commanders so that we could get initial access to women and find a character that we liked.
The suggestion of Silu—and then finding her to be someone who was comfortable to be followed for a longer period of time, really turned out to be our lucky break.
W&H: It is remarkable that 40% of the rebels were women and one of the issues they fought for was gender inequities. That seems to be a unique piece of a revolution. What did you notice about how the male and female rebels interacted and what did that teach you?
KD: I noticed that both men and women were employed with the same kinds of tasks—women were not relegated to cooking food or cleaning up any more than men were relegated to training or fighting. It’s not that men and women were constantly interacting and socializing; it’s more that the division of labor was not defined along gender lines. That’s what struck me.
W&H: Did the men and the women lead differently?
KD: Because our story really focused on one character, I don’t know how much I can speak knowledgeably on how men lead differently in comparison to women.
In Silu, I did notice an affection I would see sometimes when she was dealing with other soldiers; and a warmth when she was interacting with people no matter where she went–from the city, to the countryside, to her home village. The way she would talk to other women, there was often this really nurturing quality to her that was a surprising contrast with the tough exterior.
W&H: How did they make the transition from guns to becoming leaders in the parliament.
KD: The politics in Nepal move incredibly quickly, so there were a number of factors. A major one is that I think the rebels realized that the violence and death toll as a result of all of the fighting was quickly becoming unpopular and they were losing the good will of the common people. So they needed to find a way to transition into non-violent struggle.
When the King took over in 2005 and dissolved Parliamentary democracy to become an autocratic dictator, he provided the perfect opening. The Maoist rebels joined forces with the disenfranchised political parties. Together the two groups orchestrated a huge, non-violent, massive people uprising, known as ‘People Power II’ in April of 2006.
This lead to the King being deposed, and was the beginning of the Maoist rebels entering the mainstream politics. The non-violent approach proved very popular…in November 2006 they signed a peace agreement; and after campaigning in UN monitored free and fair elections in 2008, they came out as the majority party in Parliament.
Now, the current climate has taken a different turn, with the rebel Maoist party leaving Parliament in 2009, over political infighting and disagreements on how to integrate the two armed forces (rebels and government) together. There is a political stagnancy now that has taken hold—no return to violence, but hopefully everyone can come together and resolve their differences and compromise to get the government back on track to start working for its people.
W&H: What did you learn about women’s leadership from this experience?
I learned that people become empowered through the process of leadership. That’s why the UN advocates female leadership; women might bring different ideas to the table because of different experiences and perspective; but ultimately, if everyone is listening to one another, that added voice should make a stronger whole.
W&H: What advice do you have for other women who want to tell these types of stories?
KD: Go for it. Depending on the medium you’re using (ie film, print, etc) the going might get tough at times, but do the work, trust your instincts, and don’t give up. And try to surround yourself with supportive, like-minded collaborators. I’d love to see more stories like this one out there.
W&H: How did you get the HBO deal?
We were very lucky because our film was one of eight that was shortlisted for the 2010 Oscar. My Executive Producer Robert Richter is also an award winning veteran filmmaker who has worked with HBO in the past–so after the shortlist was announced HBO got in contact that way.
W&H: What’s next for you?
KD: I am currently working on pitching a series with a producer friend of mine about ‘Women Rebels’ –women who revolutionize social change in their respective societies around the world. Ideally we’d really love to broaden out that definition of ‘rebel’ and focus on these really compelling narratives that focus women as agents of change in their own lives. I’m also working on several fictional projects. Fingers crossed!
Film airs tonight on HBO. Details and trailer here.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
great interview and inspirational movie.
Loved the character’s enthusiasm you have picked. Excellent documentary.
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