Women Boxers in India: With this Ring
Anna Sarkissian and Ameesha Joshi are emerging filmmakers from Montreal, Quebec. They are the women behind the documentary about women boxers in India, called “With this Ring.” On a self described shoe-string budget, these women are showing a side of South Asian women that is usually left out of the meida: the not so soft side, the one that can take care of herself.
The synopsis from the film’s site promotes as a look into the life of these women: “With This Ring lets you step into the ring with members of the Indian Women’s National Boxing Team. From their villages to the podium, these girls quickly rise to the top of their game. At the 4th World Women’s Boxing Competition in 2006, the Indian team makes a clean sweep, winning eight medals and the Championship Team title. They officially become the best women’s boxing team in the world. And the most under-appreciate.”
They came up with the idea when Ameesha learned that there were women boxing in India after seeing their images at a World Press Photo Exhibit. “She was really curious to find out how these women were able to pursue boxing when they are expected to marry and have kids by the age of 20,” explained Anna. With the social pressures on women in India ranging from being a dutiful housewife, mother, daughter to running an entire household and having no life of their own, it is no wonder that the idea of women boxing in India would peak a filmmaker’s curiosity. “She knew there was a story to tell. So in November 2006, we booked a last minute flight and headed to India,” remembered Anna. They booked these tickets without any funding, no equipment of their own – nothing more than just knowing that they were going to do this by whatever means were necessary.
“One of the best moments was the first day we arrived at the boxing camp in India in the summer of 2008, two years after our first visit,” remembers Ameesha. Since their first visit, Mary Kom, one of the documentary’s main characters, had left the boxing scene for two years after having twin boys. No one was sure if she was going to return to boxing, but Mary Kom arrived at the boxing camp the same day as Ameesha and Anna. “Mary was determined to win her fourth gold medal at the next Championships, which she did! But the best part of her returning was her arrival with a baby in each arm,” noted Ameesha.
The story behind “With this Ring” is one of gaining independence and making your own choices. As the film’s website notes, “For the first time, [these women] are gaining independence by setting their own goals, living independently, and taking the world by storm. Yes, some have short hair. And yes, they show their legs and wear athletic gear–something which most Indians would frown upon. As one woman that we interviewed put it, wearing shorts amounts to “degrading women.”’
So let’s support these incredible South Asian women – the ones behind the camera, and the ones on camera in “With this Ring.”
– Prena Gupta
More information is available at: http://withthisringfilm.com
