Driving with Selvi

Driving with Selvi is a Canadian documentary film that focuses on South India's first female taxi driver, a young woman named Selvi who had previously escaped a child marriage. The film was directed by Elisa Paloschi, who also acted as producer for the project.

Driving with Selvi
Directed byElisa Paloschi
Produced byElisa Paloschi
Music byKen Myhr
CinematographyElisa Paloschi
Edited byDave Kazala and Mahi Rahgozar
Production
company
Eyesfull
Release date
  • 29 October 2015 (2015-10-29) (Raindance Film Festival)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish, Kannada

Selvi, like so many girls in India, is a child bride in a violent marriage. One day she escapes, and goes on to become South India's first female taxi driver. This is the ten-year journey of a charming, strong, and courageous young woman who defies all expectations, moving beyond the pain she's experienced to create a new life.[1]

Background

Paloschi met Selvi in 2004 in India when she was tourist in Mysore, India. After Paloschi volunteered with Odanadi, an organization dedicated to rehabilitate people affected by human trafficking, they asked her to shoot a short film for their organization. Paloschi became "enamored" with Selvi, and ended up following her over the next 10 years to film the documentary.[2]

Selvi had been married off a month after her first period for a dowry consisting of a pair of earrings and some household utensils. She was 13 years old. After putting up with years of abuse and torture by her husband—and immediate family members including her mother and brother, the 18-year-old made a break for it and ran to the bus stop. "I waited for a bus because I wanted to throw myself under it, but when the bus came, I raised my hand and got on it instead," she tells the camera. "If I died, I wouldn’t be able to prove myself. That is why I ran away."

Paloschi had also, in a sense, run away, leaving her life as an interactive content producer in Italy to go on a yoga retreat. After volunteering to work at the Odanadi women's refuge she met Selvi, who she says she was drawn to immediately. "She really is powerful and she has no idea of it, unaware of the strength and power she possesses. Even today she says, ‘Why are you filming me? Why is this film about me?’".[3]

Chicken & Egg Pictures had financially backed Paloschi with her project, as had GoodPitch2 India, a subsidiary of the BRITDOC Foundation.[4][5][6] Funding for post-production costs had been solicited through Indiegogo, a crowdfunding website.[7][8]

Following her success at GoodPitch2 India, Elisa was asked to join the delegation of Canada's Governor General David Johnston’s state visit to India in 2014. At this time, India and Canada signed an audio-visual co-production agreement to enable film producers to tap into various incentives and tax breaks offered by both governments.[9] The diplomatic mission of the trip is outlined here.[10]

Plot

Selvi, like so many girls living within India’s patriarchal culture, is forced to marry at a young age, only to find herself in a violent and abusive marriage. One day in deep despair, she chooses to escape, going to a highway with the intention of throwing herself under the wheels of a bus. Instead she gets on the bus, choosing to live… and goes on to become South India’s first female taxi driver.

We first meet 18-year-old Selvi at a girls’ shelter in 2004 – timid, soft-spoken, a fresh runaway from a difficult life. Over a ten-year journey, we see a remarkable transformation as Selvi finds her voice and defies all expectations – learning to drive, starting her own taxi company, leading seminars to educate other women, and much more.

This character-driven story highlights the challenges that millions of devalued women and girls in India face. In a society where women are often considered expendable or worthless, Selvi refuses to accept this estimation for herself, moving beyond the pain she's experienced to create an entirely new life.

Through Selvi's eyes, the audience is taken on an intimate journey of healing, overcoming obstacles, and fulfilling dreams. And throughout this journey, Selvi's unwavering spirit shines through. Wildly charming (without even realizing it), remarkably strong, and utterly courageous, by the end of the film Selvi speaks almost as a sage or our wisest teacher, sharing important, hard-won secrets about happiness and life. [11]

Reception

The film had its world premiere at Raindance Film Festival.[12]

Paloschi has stated "I didn’t set out to make films that would send a message, but I gradually realised that I was drawn to people who had a spark in their soul and a powerful impact on those around them."[13]

Indie Wire called DWS an "inspiring story".[14] The Toronto Film Scene echoed that it was inspirational, also writing "Her growth and transformation is an inspiring one as she changes from an eighteen-year-old soft-spoken runaway, to a woman finding her voice and refusing to surrender to the limitations that society attempts to force upon her."[15]

Paloschi was included as a delegate because of her work on DWS for the Canadian-Indian Copro Treaty signing, an international co production treaty for film between the two countries. His Excellency David Johnston headed the delegation.[16][17]

Media Coverage

Radio and television interviews
  • CTV in Toronto
  • What She Said[18]
  • Rabble podcast[19] -
  • Sirius XM Asked
  • BBC World Services – outlook[20]
  • CBC Metro Morning[21]
  • Radio Live New Zealand[22]
  • CHCH The Watchlist[23]

Press articles
  • Rated 11th of 25 Top Films of 2016 (#1 documentary) by TimeOut London[24]
  • 3/4 stars from Globe and Mail[25]
  • 4/5 stars from NOW[26]
  • One World[27]
  • 3/5 The Guardian[28]
  • 5/5 Stars from Time Out London[29]
  • Thomson Reuters[30]
  • CBC[31]
  • Ottawa Citizen[32]
  • The Kingstonist[33]
  • 4/4 Stars from Times Colonist[34]
  • Cinefilles[35]
  • Real Screen[36]
  • Asia Society[36]
  • 4/4 stars The British Blacklist[37]
  • 4/5 One Room With A View[38]
  • Screen Daily[39]
  • Fast Co Create[40]

Awards
  • Top Ten Audience Favourites, IDFA 2015
  • Best Documentary - Truth to Power Award, Reel Asian Film Festival 2015[41]
  • New Mavericks Award, Atlanta Film Festival 2015
  • Best Documentary Jury Prize, Atlanta Film Festival 2015[42]
  • Best Director Non Fiction, Yorkton Film Festival 2016[43]
  • Best Documentary, Indian Film Festival of Houston 2016[44]

Grants

Bertha Britdoc Connect Fund, 2014 and 2016[45]
Chicken & Egg Pictures [46]
The Fledgling Fund[47]
Women in Film Finishing Fund[48]
Women in Film & Television International[49]
Canada Council for the Arts[50]
Ontario Arts Council[51]
Toronto Arts Council[52]
Private philanthropists and over 600 individual donors through Indiegogo.

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References
  1. "Driving with Selvi". drivingwithselvi.com.
  2. Badalja (24 July 2014). "DRIVING WITH SELVI: NO RULE IN INDIA THAT WE MUST KEEP SUFFERING". badal ja!. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  3. [(source: https://www.fastcompany.com/3051735/how a-teen-girl-went-from-one-of-indias-first-cabbies-to-womens-rights-champion IDFA_MAMI_RA10_12_2015&show_rev_content) (source: https://www.fastcompany.com/3051735/how a-teen-girl-went-from-one-of-indias-first-cabbies-to-womens-rights-champion IDFA_MAMI_RA10_12_2015&show_rev_content)] Check |url= value (help). Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. "Driving with Selvi". Chicken & Egg Pictures. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  5. Ritchie, Kevin (26 November 2013). "Longinotto, Walker among 2013 Chicken & Egg grantees". Real Screen. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  6. "GOOD PITCH2 INDIA GENERATES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF SUPPORT" (2014). Good Pitch.
  7. Hurst, Samantha (27 May 2014). "DOC and Indiegogo Team Up For New Strategic Partnership for Independent Canadian Filmmakers". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  8. "Driving with Selvi". Indiegogo. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  9. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/india-canada-sign-production-treaty-682740. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. (PDF) https://www.gg.ca/pdf/StateVisit_India2014_DelegatesEn_05.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. http://drivingwithselvi.com/about/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. Paloschi, Elisa (5 March 2016), Driving with Selvi, retrieved 7 October 2016
  13. Kumar, Shikha (12 January 2014). "Canada-based filmmaker Elisa Paloschi tells the inspiring story of Karnataka's first female cabbie Selvi". DNA. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  14. "Project of the Day: 'Driving with Selvi'". Indie Wire. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  15. Das, Prerana. "CROWDFUNDING PROJECT OF THE WEEK: DRIVING WITH SELVI" (4 August 2014). Toronto Film Scene. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  16. "CANADA AND INDIA SIGN COPRO TREATY". On Screen Manitoba. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  17. "New Co-Production Treaty Announced Between Canada and India". In Film. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVf6emaq-7k. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. http://davidpecklive.com/elisa-paloschi/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p024r9pp. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2520040530. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Talking-with-Driving-with-Selvi-Director-Elisa-Paloschi/tabid/506/articleID/122247/Default.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. http://www.chch.com/reel-asian-driving-with-selvi/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. "Top Films of 2016". TimeOut London.
  25. "Globe and Mail".
  26. "NOW". 19 October 2016.
  27. "Selvi: van uitgehuwelijkte kindbruid tot taxichauffeuse".
  28. "Driving With Selvi review – a journey into awareness".
  29. "Time Out London".
  30. "Thomson Reuters".
  31. "CBC".
  32. "Ottawa Citizen". 24 February 2016.
  33. "The Kingstonist". 26 January 2016.
  34. "Times Colonist".
  35. "Cinefilles".
  36. ""Driving with Selvi" takes doc prize at Reel Asian". 19 November 2015.
  37. "The British Blacklist".
  38. "One Room With A View". 2 October 2015.
  39. "Screen Daily".
  40. "Fast Co Create".
  41. "Reel Asian Film Festival 2015".
  42. "Atlanta International Film Festival 2015".
  43. "Yorkton Film Festival 2016".
  44. "Indian Film Festival of Houston 2016".
  45. "Bertha Britdoc Connect Fund".
  46. "Chicken & Egg Pictures".
  47. "The Fledgling Fund".
  48. "Women in Film Finishing Fund".
  49. "Women in Film & Television International".
  50. "Canada Council for the Arts".
  51. "Ontario Arts Council". Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  52. "Toronto Arts Council".

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