Withered leaf

………. is a country woman lives in rural area of ……. in Sri Lanka. The story begins with her husband’s death which is due to Malaria; a life threatening disease caused by a type of mosquito. She, being a widow in a very rural village and a single mother for a child, struggles to live the life without a support from anyone. Her family is in no connection with her as she got married to a man from a lower caste without the consent of her family.

Being young and beautiful, this woman is invited by many men and they willingly come into the scene to help her, but with another intention in minds. All they expect is sexual satisfaction from her but nothing else. She does not let them use her for their needs, nor she give up on her son. She keeps on living the tough life and tries to win it anyhow. Her life becomes more difficult when the owners of the only well in the village refuses to let her use it because she stood tall and strong in front of them sticking into her policies. Then there comes a day in her life that she does not get a single drop of water for her son. It breaks her down mentally and emotionally and after facing many challenges and injustices, she finally hangs herself in the well and commits suicide, leaving the people with a bitter truth to think about.

This movie not only shows the pathetic life of a single mother in a rural village, but also brings out the disgusting truth behind human relationships which are mostly based on returning the favor. A woman with a lot of courage and integrity is also breaks down at the end with all the pressure she has to take and with all the mistreatments she faces. The movie unveils the struggle of a single mother who suffers from not only poverty but also from gender inequality, cultural barriers and ignorance caused by poor education system. This story is for all the women to remind that they are not alone and for all the people out there to remind them to be kind and genuine in helping others and to point out there is a vacuum which needs to be filled.