NEW DELHI: On Monday, Khatikhera, a home to about 3,500 people is all about celebration as ‘Period. End of Sentence,’ an India-based documentary created history after winning the best documentary short subject at the 91st Academy Awards.
Directed by award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, the 25-minute documentary shot entirely in Khatikhera, which about 80 km from New Delhi.
The documentary tackles the deeply rooted stigma around menstruation in rural India.
The film follows girls and women in Hapur in northern India and their experience with the installation of a pad machine in their village.
Like Poonam, who is part of the Tanwar family. “We came to know of the win at 7 am when Suman bhabhi’s husband got the call. We have not stopped dancing since, aas paas 2-3 dukaanon ki mithai bhi humne khatam kara di hai (We have finished all the sweets from 3-4 shops),” reported Indian Express.
“We have called for more. We now realise the importance of the Oscar win. Bollywood, Hollywood, aur jitne bhi aise jagah hain, wahaan sab main jeete hain hamari film (Bollywood, Hollywood and others like it, we have won awards in all of them).”
Currently available on Netflix, ‘Period. End of Sentence.’ is the second Oscar-winning documentary short set in India, along with Smile Pinki (2008).
The 2019 Oscars is taking place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre in Hollywood.
With agency inputs