The Awakening (Ullarivu)
Directed by Sumi Mathai
India
Ullarivu is about a young girl's transformative journey from a carefree child of the earth into a cautious young girl in the world, as she pieces together the hidden meanings and unfair rules of the patriarchal world. Her love for nature and exploration comes to a standstill when she is forced to understand that her access to the world itself is limited due to her gender. Even though she is brought up in a loving, protective family, helmed by her father, the family dynamics are deeply rooted in patriarchal rules and values. In a world that assigns pink for girls and blue for boys at birth itself, it's only a matter of time until the rules of subjugation are inflicted upon even the most hungry, wild souls.
Sumi Mathai is a writer/director based in India. Her short films have travelled to prestigious film festivals like Future of Film is Female New York, Tampere, BISFF etc and distributed on platforms like Nowness Asia and Girls In Films. Currently she is developing a superhero-themed series project and a feature film. Through her storytelling, she hopes to inspire womxn to fiercely participate in life and the world around them.