Content warning: This review contains material that may be triggering. Reader discretion advised.
“At last we have a son, thanks to you!”, says a man to Mandeep, a doctor who just delivered his child. This scene will prove to be a powerful statement as it shifts from the two men to two little girls, the man’s daughters.
Whilst one would take it as a lighthearted, celebratory remark of a father, it is symbolic and socioculturally significant in Proof (Nishtha Jain, Deepti Gupta; 2019). The tale of patriarchy is poignantly told through the story of a well-meaning, yet ill-fated junior gynecologist in a Delhi government hospital. The two little girls stare emptily, seemingly in defiance of the father’s statement. The theme of the film is about girls–and later as women–being unwanted and unwelcome in a society to serve those who celebrate and caters for men. This theme is explored thoroughly throughout the movie.
The cinematographic choices and overall direction of Deepti Gupta and Nishta Jain provide a powerful message. The setting of a dark and dingy hospital whilst often cutting to scenes of an eerie, empty forest, remind us once more of the precarious position women sadly often find themselves in, and the imperious isolation they face in a world seemingly against them. Proof (2019) provides an astute portrayal of this condition of the world and the women in it. Set in 1984, in the time of tumultuous ethnic violence in India, we are reminded of the structural violence that women face daily through what is sadly still a timely tale even decades later.
In the film’s most powerful scenes, a rape victim is terribly treated as she enters the ward. Waiting for hours, tears fall down her bare face, bereft of emotion as she barely receives a blanket. Even when examined, her test results are handled carelessly and are scuppered. Mandeep argues with the nurse and senior doctors, both who are women, that the tests must be retaken. They both are dismissive, seemingly discouraged, pointing out that it is a waste of time, that even if there was a case, that they will not stand up in the courts. It is a striking scene: an expression just how deep rooted patriarchal systems can be, until now.
Proof (2019) is effective in evoking many questions. How has the constant patriarchal experiences faced by the senior doctor, a woman, affected how she handled the case? Whilst Mandeep tries to do what he sees is right, with him being there, effectively taking the place of a woman in an area that women should specialize in, is he also part of the problem? How does the women’s treatment in the ward reflect women’s treatment in everyday life? Explore these questions when watching Proof (2019) as part of Festival Film Dokumenter 2023.
Proof (2019) is selected under Retrospektif: Nishtha Jain in Festival Film Dokumenter 2023. (Aradi Ghalizha) (Vanis)
Film Details
Proof (Saboot)
Nishtha Jain, Deepti Gupta | 20 Minutes | 2019 | India | BW | 17+
Screening Schedule
12.07 | Bioskop Sonobudoyo | 15.00 WIB
