A devout Hindu woman finds her purpose in Elisa Paloschi’s sympathetic documentary. Selvi’s achievement might not seem so unusual in the United States, but she is South India’s first female taxi driver. When she was 14, Selvi’s brother arranged for her to marry a man who ended up abusing her. Although she wanted to kill herself, she got in a bus and left instead. In secret, she took driving lessons, but at the time didn’t even know how to ride a bicycle and felt uncomfortable talking to strangers. Now she converses easily with customers while driving. "I may look delicate," she says, "but not in the driver’s seat." In recalling her troubled childhood, Selvi says she never knew her father and was neglected by her mother. After years on her own, she meets and falls in love with Viji. Although her first husband beat her because he expected a larger dowry, Viji marries Selvi for Selvi. Afterward, the couple start a family, but once Selvi’s mother finds out she’s doing well, she pressures her daughter to take her in, which Selvi does her best to resist. Paloschi catches up with the couple after their daughter, Hariga, is born. Viji doesn’t want his wife to drive, even though they could use the money, but after a few more years the situation changes in surprising ways as Selvi reconnects with her closest friends and favorite relatives. She also picks up new skills that prove what an unstoppable force an abused and neglected woman can be when she finds the love and support she deserves. Featuring both the full-length version and a 52-minuted abridged edition, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Driving with Selvi
(2014) 74 min. In English & Kannada w/English subtitles. DVD: $30 ($125 w/PPR): public libraries; $295 w/PPR: colleges & universities. DRA. Collective Eye Films. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 3
Driving with Selvi
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