New York -
Hollywood A-listers including actress Meryl Streep raised their voice against sexual violence and discrimination against women on Monday at the US premier of the documentary India's Daughter.
Stars showed their support for the documentary about the 2012 New Delhi gang rape directed by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin after the Indian government had banned it, claiming it was too offensive and could incite further violence against women.
Actresses Freida Pinto, Dakota Fanning and Marcia Cross joined Streep on stage before the screening to light candles in remembrance of the 23-year-old female student who died days after she was brutally raped and beaten on a bus in India.
“What we're dealing with is worse than violent murder during the course of rape,” Streep said.
“What is worse than brutality that dehumanises girls and women? Tolerance for it is worse. Acceptance of it.”
Udwin, who spent two years in India shooting the documentary, said that the US screening also marks the beginning of a global campaign to eradicate violence against women.
“Change of mindset is probably the biggest ask that we can make,” Udwin said.
“I do believe you can move mountains with films ... I think this film has the power to do that.”
Udwin said a complete change of societal mindset is needed to stop sexual violence.
“The disease is not rape,” Udwin said.
“The disease is gender inequality.”
The film was shown in several countries worldwide Sunday night to mark International Women's Day.
In India, a leading television network originally set to broadcast it halted all programming for an hour in protest after the government banned showings of the documentary.
Sapa-dpa