The famous actress Revathy has directed the short film Red Building Where The Sun Sets, a story about a child who wanders the city, "fleeing" from the quarrels of the mother and father. Designed for parents and teachers, the film shows the importance of family for the growth of new generations. While households are "westernised", they are becoming smaller and more isolated, are archaic forms of preference for male children, the result is female infanticide and selective abortions.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Doors slamming one, two, too many times, while normal conversations between parents turn into heated arguments and recriminations. At the center, a child of seven years lost and tired of yelling and bickering: he prepares the backpack for school, takes some 'fruit as a snack, opens the door and leaves. Direction: the home of his grandfather. Along the way, he gets lost in the city of India, his eyes just as chaotic and confused as the discussions between his mother and father. This is the story of Red Building When The Sun Sets (trailer here), the first short film to be directed by Revathy, a famous Bollywood actress and director, that won the National Film Award 2011 in the category "Best Short". The film is produced by EduMedia, a company that deals with developing educational projects through various forms of communication.

"The film - Revathy tells AsiaNews - is meant to be shown primarily to parents and teachers. It was born after careful research, conducted on children of different age groups. Between six and nine years, young children are very susceptible: the sense of safety is measured and develops according to the harmony that reigns in the house, and how parents deal with the child. " From here, the idea of the film to explain that "at that age, the mother and father are the world for a child, and their behaviours have clear consequences on him."

In India as elsewhere in the world, the family is the first mirror of society in all respects. The last government census (Census 2011), however, shows a significant change in its composition: in 70% of cases, the family consists of couples. A real revolution in a country that traditionally has many nuclei, even of 15-20 people including parents, children, grandparents, aunts and uncles. "This new situation - says the well known actress and director - is also associated with an evolution of roles: first, the father worked to bring home food, while the mother stayed at home to look after the children's education. Today, for reasons of the economy and the claim to equality, both parents work. The two factors together have caused a decline in the quality and quantity of time devoted to children, left to themselves, even without the support of the rest of the family. "

Revathy paints a portrait of the Indian family similar to those in the "West" today. What has not changed, however, is the archaic cultural preference to male children. This, today, results in cases of selective abortion, female infanticide and feticide. The actress points out: "Although women play prominent roles in almost all fields (the present President of India is a woman, ed), there is still great disparity between girls and boys in many parts of the country. The problems begin at home: episodes of violence and discrimination from when they are small means that girls and women , grow up insecure."

The real change must take place in the home: "Only when this attitude changes, and parents and family reclaim their proper role, will there be true equality. Otherwise, in most cases, women remain second-class citizens."

Born in Kochi (Kerala) in 1966, Revathy is one of the most famous actresses of Bollywood. She has appeared in over 100 films, has acted in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayam. In 2002 she made her debut behind the camera, directing English Mitr, My Friend. In over 20 years of career, she has won three National Film Awards (1992 "Best Actress" for Thevar Magan, 2002 "best film in English" for Mitr, My Friend, 2011 "Best Short Film" Red Building Where The Sun Sets ) and several other awards. (GM)

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