Blaming and Shaming
In a modern portrayal of events following Sita's rescue from her abductor Ravana, as detailed in the Hindu epic poem The Ramayana, Sita finds herself in therapy and wrestles with the psychological effects of her abduction and slut shaming, leaving her with even more questions than answers.
Despite the connection to the characters' ancient Hindu origin stories, this tale is relatable to so many as the themes in the tale continue to repeat, even today.
Because these topics are sensitive by definition, vierwers may find themselves in a place of discomfort and hopefully will learn a little about themselves through that discomfort.
*Contains adult language and mature themes, not suitable for children
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Joya JosephDirector
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Joya JosephWriter
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Rob UnderhillProducer
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Joya JosephProducer
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Rob UnderhillDirector of Photography
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Joya JosephKey Cast"Sita"
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Amy PaquetteKey Cast"Dr. Molly Scanlon"
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Tripti BansalKey Cast"Draupdi"
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Varun AggarwalKey Cast"Rama"
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Ben Van VlissingenMusic By
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:10 minutes 37 seconds
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Completion Date:July 1, 2022
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Production Budget:2,500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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New Jersey Film AwardsNew Jersey
United States
July 30, 2022
BEST FEMALE FILMMAKER, BEST ACTRESS & BEST POSTER -
14th Chicago South Asian Film FestivalChicago, Illinois
United States
September 23, 2023
Official Selection -
Cinevelle Calcutta Global CinefestWest Bengal
India
August 12, 2022
BEST SHORT FILM, BEST EDITING, BEST PRODUCER, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST ACTRESS -
San Francisco Arthouse Short FestivalSan Francisco
United States
October 15, 2022
BEST FIRST TIME FILMMAKER -
Black Swan International Film FestivalKolkata
India
August 13, 2022
CRITICS CHOICE, OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT-ACTRESS, BEST POSTER -
Best Istanbul Film FestivalIstanbul
Turkey
August 1, 2022
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC -
Berlin Shorts AwardBerlin
Germany
September 9, 2022
SEMI FINALIST -
Florida Shorts
United States
SEMI FINALIST -
Austin International Art FestivalAustin
United States
SEMI FINALIST -
Vancouver Movie AwardsVancouver, BC
Canada
September 25, 2022
SEMI FINALIST -
10th Raleigh Film & Art FestivalRaleigh
United States
October 7, 2022
BEST POSTER & Nominated BEST SHORT FILM -
LA Asian Film FestLos Angeles
United States
Official Selection -
Palm Spring ShortsPalm Spring
United States
September 3, 2022
SEMI FINALIST -
14th Pune Short Film FestivalPune, Maharashtra
India
May 25, 2024
Official Selection
Joya Joseph (she/her) is a first generation Indian American female first time filmmaker currently living in North Carolina. Her parents moved to the US in the late 60s from West Bengal. When growing up, houses of worship (temples or 'mandir') in the Hindu community, much less the subsections of the Hindu community were hard to come by so she learned a lot about her religion through reading and talking with her parents. Clearly open minded regarding religion, she married a South Indian Catholic man.
She attended Quaker school in Philadelphia as a child and a Quaker women's college outside of Philadelphia (Bryn Mawr College), though she grew up in New Jersey. The Quaker influence really added to an artistic household. Fast forward to now, when she has decided to pursue a career in acting and has simultaneously found a love of writing and filmmaking. She is eager to continue telling stories that center women, people of color and other marginalized people.
This story has been rattling around my head for pretty much my whole life. I always wondered what it would've been like for Sita to come home from her trauma, only to be constantly retraumatized by the people who supposedly love her. My hope is that we have given our viewers a different perspective on an ancient set of characters, and something new to think about.
My take on these characters is mine alone and I recognize that it will cause people discomfort, whether or not they are familiar with the characters or plots of the source material (The Ramayana & The Mahabharata).
While the film takes major characters out of space and time from The Ramayana (Sita, Rama, Lakshman) and The Mahabharata (Draupadi), my goal is for viewers to engage with a woman discussing her trauma, her relationship, and the way in which the world around her sees her. I believe these themes are still prevalent and relevant today, especially in this post Me Too era. Viewers who are familiar with these original Hindu epics may find discomfort in the flipped narrative. But hopefully, we still feel connected to the new material and can find themselves giving space to that discomfort to analyze what in themselves they recognize or fear. I hope those unfamiliar with the source material are able to engage with the story and are curious enough to explore this world further.
By "flipping the script" on an age-old tale, I believe I am asking members of my community, to look at how we discuss women and how we hold different standards for men and women. While the story focuses around specific Hindu characters, I do believe that conversation is universal to all communities. Difficult conversations are never fun but are always necessary.
Sharing a story that focuses on Indian American characters and actors filmed in North Carolina, fills me with pride as it mirrors a lot of our changing local demographics.