Nandita Das’ short film on domestic violence implores us to listen

The idea to stay at home in light of a pandemic stems from the belief that home is the safest space. And yet, Das shows how for women, the outside and inside are spaces they need to constantly negotiate to earn their safety and to be heard.

In Nandita Das’ short film titled Listen To Her, as a woman tries to conduct a video call for work, she is constantly interrupted by her son as her husband is absorbed in videos, oblivious to her presence. When she sits down to resume her meeting, she is interrupted again, this time by a phone call. On the other end is a woman’s voice. “It is a wrong number.” The urgency on one end is dulled by impatience on the other. The woman calls again. Her hushed tone pleading to be heard transforms into a desperate cry for help.

The film is an affecting portrait of domestic violence and a commentary on the recent spike during lockdown. In India, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had raised an alarm on the rise in the cases of domestic violence during lockdown. With a running time close to seven times, it is also an urgent take on the indiscriminate nature of such violence on women, irrespective of their position on the spectrum of privilege. Das plays an urban working woman who does not remain untouched by the shards of domestic abuse. It’s the nature that differs. The film concludes with a powerful scene where the husband yells at her to open the door. “Do it yourself,” she retorts.

The idea to stay at home in light of a pandemic stems from the belief that home is the safest space. And yet, Das shows how for women, the outside and inside are spaces they need to constantly negotiate to earn their safety and to be heard. For women, to be safe is a luxury even the most privileged cannot afford.

Watch the video here.