Tuer un Tigre

This documentary is so amazing and shows the reality of what's it like to be a victim and survivor of sexual violence. India needs to have a change in the way they think about victims and survivors of sexual violence. To blame a young child for what happened to her is disgusting and appaling. Men need to change. Men need to change everywhere but the sad thing is they won't and never will. They are disgusting and vile and need to be stopped. I am so proud of the the young girl in this documentary. She is so brave and courageous. I hope safety and and protection for her and her family. I hope she has a bright future.

According to official estimates, a woman in India is raped every 20 minutes, and roughly 90% of those incidents go unreported, despite strengthened legal protections that have been put into place. Police investigations seldom achieve much, either, especially since residents in many communities (particularly in rural areas) prefer to handle such episodes among themselves without outside official intervention, a means to avoid bringing undue attention to such troubling circumstances and the attendant shame that accompanies them. However, in 2017 in eastern India, a courageous father whose 13-year-old daughter was brutally assaulted and subsequently beaten by three men chose to pursue the matter legally in court, despite opposition from village residents, who proposed that the young girl simply marry one of the rapists to dispense with the incident. Their inspiring journey in fighting back provides the basis for this Oscar-nominated documentary from writer-director Nisha Pahuja. It effectively chronicles their pursuit of justice despite these oppressive odds, including death threats and ongoing intimidation, as well as antagonism against the film crew in documenting this often-inflammatory tale. The film sensitively depicts how this experience personally affected father, daughter and the rest of their family as they held firm in their resolve to see their way through this painful ordeal. It also outlines the many uphill challenges they faced in combatting a convoluted, inept, excessively burdened bureaucracy and a range of archaic, widely sanctioned, misogynistic social conventions. Fortunately, they had ample support from organizations and individuals helping them to make their case, an effort that resulted in a landmark judicial decision with far-reaching implications that sent shockwaves throughout the country. The story is well told, despite a slight tendency to become somewhat redundant at times in the picture's second half. That aside, though, "To Kill a Tiger" is a riveting yet disturbing release that shines an exceedingly bright light on a troubling issue, one that's raised early on in the film in a news report sound bite about this incident in which the narrator rhetorically poses the question, "Is there something innately wrong with this country?" That's a powerful observation about a potently alarming subject, one that's raised to a new level of awareness by this formidable cinematic release, currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Shocking statistics reveal that globally, 35% of women have faced sexual abuse, but only 40% seek help, and a mere 10% report to law enforcement. Moreover, 33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide. In the US, a rape occurs every 1-2 minutes, while in India, it happens every 18-20 minutes (Ref: worldpopulationreview) The alarming reality is that most cases in India go unreported, masking the country's true magnitude of sexual crimes, including acid attacks, gang rapes, and rapes of minors. Recent heinous incidents, such as the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl by 7 men, including a priest and police officers, and the gang rape and murder of a young woman from a lower caste, leave me wondering... How did I muster the courage to watch this film and review it? The stark truth is that India faces an epidemic of unspeakable crimes! And it is about time we confront this dark reality head-on.

This film explores the issue of sexual violence in India, specifically the gang rape of a 13-year old young woman in the state of Jharkhand. The film follows the survivor's journey as she alongside her father navigates the legal system and seeks justice.

The film also delves into the societal and cultural factors that contribute to sexual violence in India. Instead of recognizing that rape is always a fault of the perpetrator, and never the result of the victim's actions or characteristics, it is appalling that how victim-blaming mentality still serves to perpetuate rape culture and further traumatizes and silences the survivors.

Simple yet powerful storytelling and poignant narrative! Tackling a delicate topic with compassion and care, the film sheds light on the heart-wrenching realities of sexual violence and its devastating impact on especially minor victims. It demands attention and action.

Watch heart-wrenching, powerful Oscar-nominated documentary from India.

It's a documentary on the pursuit of justice for the gang rape of a 13-year-girl in rural Jharkhand, India in 2017. It follows the efforts of Kiran's (a pseudonym) father, Ranjit, to pursue a criminal conviction of the three local teenagers who raped her, including her first cousin. The family receives considerable support from the Srijan Foundation, a non-profit NGO established in 2001 to work directly with local communities on poverty and gender justice. The Foundation appeared to facilitate the remarkable filming by Nisha Pajuja.

What is most remarkable in the film is the scenes in which village members, both male and female, try to blame the victim and the victim's family and insist that Kiran should marry one of the rapists and that the village conflict should be settled within the village. The society's honor culture insists this is the only way to remove the "stain" on Kiran's family. Ranjit appears to waver under pressure from time to time. Still, Kiran's persistence and Srijan Foundation's encouragement allow what seems to be an apparent victory, though appeals of the verdict were still outstanding in 2022.

"To Kill a Tiger" presents an important issue. I do wonder about some documentary ethics. Did the villagers give informed consent to the filming of their sometimes inflammatory statements? What was the impact of the camera's presence on what people said? The village leader's comments after the conviction seemed made-for-camera. And we don't really know the long-term impact of Kiran's family after the cameras have left. These questions nag at me despite a powerful presentation.

As "To Kill A Tiger" (2022 release from India; 127 min) opens, we are introduced to Ranjit, a father living with his family in remote Jharkhand, India. We learn that his 13 yo daughter was raped by 3 young men, and at his daughter's urging, he decides to file a law suit against the 3 men. This leads to major tensions within the village... At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: the horrible events took place in 2017, and then the film makers team up with the family and with a local women's rights nonprofit. This was filmed over a long, long time as the case worked itself through the Indian legal system. More importantly, we get great insight as to how the remote village where this happened reacts. Let's just say that this does not go well, and I'm being mild. I found myself astonished, if not infuriated, how the villagers act in all this, literally as if it is the 13 yo's fault for being raped. There are no words. Aside from the moral outrage, we get a true picture of what life in rural India is really like on a day-to-day basis. People living on scraps of food, and not knowing how they'll get by a week or a month from now. The MAGA extremists who can't stop whining and complaining on a daily basis how terrible life has become in the US should take a look at this movie, and then drop to their knees and thank their lucky stars they live here and how privileged they are to live here. All that aside, kudos to the 13 yo girl for her (and her parents') bravery to stand up, despite all of the pressures and barriers.

"To Kill A Tiger" premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival but it didn't get shown in the US until the summer of 2023, reason why it wasn't eligible for Best Documentary Oscar consideration until this most recently cycle. Indeed it was nominated. It's currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. "To Kill A Tiger" is now streaming on Netflix, where I caught it last night. If you have any interest what life in rural India is like, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.