Join us for a special showing of the critically-acclaimed film, Driving with Selvi, An Eyesfull Production, post its screening at the 17th Jio MAMI Film Festival. Elisa Paloschi, the film's director, producer and cinematographer will join Smarinita Shetty in conversation and interact with the audience post-screening.

Driving with Selvi follows the inspiring story of Selvi, South India’s first female taxi driver, as she takes control of both the steering wheel and her future during a courageous transformation from abused child bride to empowered working mother. We first meet 18-year-old Selvi at a girls’ shelter in 2004 – timid, soft-spoken, a fresh runaway from a violent child marriage and the victim of a life set against her. Over the 9 years of filming, we see a remarkable transformation as Selvi finds her voice and refuses to surrender to expectations – learning to drive, starting her own taxi company and working on the front lines of reproductive health education. For more information, please visit: www.drivingwithselvi.com.

Elisa Paloschi is a documentary director, producer, cinematographer and photographer who is drawn to stories with a human voice. She is President of Eyesfull, a Toronto- based independent production company. With more than 20 years’ experience in every aspect of documentary production, Elisa has taken her camera into the Roma camps of Palermo, the depths of the Coral Sea in Australia, and the breathtaking landscapes of Karnataka, to name just a few. Her work has been screened at festivals in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Canada, and broadcast on numerous Italian television stations.

Smarinita Shetty is the Director of the Girls Alliance at Dasra, leading the RMNCH+A initiative to empower adolescent girls and address the healthcare needs of mothers and children in India. She has over 16 years of experience leading and managing functions across operations, sales and business development in global firms as well as start-ups. Prior to joining Dasra, she was a senior member of the Monitor Inclusive Markets unit at Monitor-Deloitte. Prior to joining Monitor, she was the Vice President at J. P. Morgan in Mumbai.

This programme is part of our AsiaLens series, presenting an array of perspectives on the visual and performing arts of modern Asia, offering a vibrant and nuanced view across the continent. Previous events under this series include a special pre-release screening of 'Margarita with a Straw', a special pre-release screening of The Lunchbox, the India Premiere of 'Saving Face', and the India premiere of 'Fire In The Blood'.

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