Widow of Silence

The plight of ‘half-widows’ – women whose husbands have been arrested by police and never returned – is investigated in this political drama. Unable to determine the fate of their husbands, and with no death certificate, they are left in bureaucratic limbo. Looking after her daughter and ailing mother-in-law, is one such ‘half-widow’ who makes regular treks to the government office to petition a death certificate for her missing husband. But the wheels of Indian bureaucracy move very slowly, and without the grease of corruption, they do not move at all. The beautifully shot mountainous terrain forms a majestic backdrop to this Kafkaesque tragedy. (Göteborg Film Festival)