Pink Saris

British filmmaker Kim Longinotto's documentary Pink Saris tells the story of Sampat Pal, who defies India's persistent caste system by leading a group called the Gulabi Gang; to advertise her independence, she wears a bright pink sari, as do her followers. Longinotto follows Pal around the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh as she and her disciples help other Untouchable women to live free from shame, domestic abuse, and potential execution. The assertive Pal, who left her village 15 years earlier after disobeying her in-laws, believes that “if girls spoke up, the world would change.” She now lives with an upper-caste man in the same town as the man to whom she remains married. During the course of the film, Pal helps out a pregnant 14-year-old who can't marry her boyfriend because of her low social standing, and a 15-year-old who's been suffering ill treatment from her husband's family. Longinotto tracks these stories from start to finish as Pal meets with relatives and mediates with authorities; not every case turns out as Pal would like, as the participants can be unpredictable. For passive figures who lack a reliable support system, Pal is a combination mother, lawyer, and social worker—and she knows her worth, stating at one point, “I'm the messiah for women.” The parade of suffering in Longinotto's film can make Pink Saris difficult to watch, but Pal deserves the recognition. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)