Film

Invoking Justice

2011 · 1h 27m · Documentary

IMDb

7.4

In Southern India, family disputes are settled by Jamaats—all male bodies which apply Islamic Sharia law to cases without allowing women to be present, even to defend themselves. Recognizing this fundamental inequity, a group of women in 2004 established a women’s Jamaat, which soon became a network of 12,000 members spread over 12 districts. Despite enormous resistance, they have been able to settle more than 8,000 cases to date, ranging from divorce to wife beating to brutal murders and more. Deepa Dhanraj follows several cases, shining a light on how the women’s Jamaat has acquired power through both communal education and the leaders’ persistent, tenacious and compassionate investigation of the crimes. In astonishing scenes we watch the Jamaat meetings, where women often shout over each other about the most difficult facets of their personal lives.

• Deepa DhanrajDirector · Producer
• Jabeen MerchantWriter · Editor
• Ryota KotaniExecutive Producer
• Sally Jo FiferExecutive Producer
• Navroze ContractorDirector of Photography
• Konarak ReddyOriginal Music Composer

Release date

November 22, 2011

Status

Released

Original language

Tamil

Runtime

1h 27m

Genres

Documentary