Salma

Kim Longinotto’s portrait of the Tamil poet Salma is perhaps the most affecting experience you will have at this year’s festival. At the onset of puberty, a young Salma is locked up until she agrees to be married. She spends two decades writing poetry, and manages to smuggle it out where it is later published to great acclaim. Today Salma is one of India’s most important and recognized poets. Longinotto takes Salma back to her native village, confronting her with the mother and mother in law who locked her up. Avoiding sensationalism and instead aiming for an observational position, Longinotto succeeds in creating a very intimate tale of survival. ess

Kim Longinotto (b. 1952) is a British documentary film maker, known for highlighting the plight of female victims of oppression or discrimination. Longinotto is an observational filmmaker, and has among others directed Sisters in Law (2005), Rough Aunties (2008) and Pink Saris (2010).